PRIME MINISTER

Appointments

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to announce new appointments to the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I am pleased to announce that I have appointed four new members to the committee.
	Sir Alistair Graham and Professor Hazel Genn will take up appointment from 1 October 2003 in succession to Ann Abraham, who stood down from the committee on appointment as the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioner for England, and Professor Alice Brown, who resigned from the committee on appointment as the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
	Patricia Hodgson and Brian Woods-Scawen will take up appointment from 1 January 2004 in succession to Frances Heaton and Sir Anthony Cleaver, who will both step down from the committee at the end of this year, on completion of their second terms of office.
	All four appointments are for three years in the first instance, and were made fully in line with the Guidance of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
	I am very grateful to Ann Abraham, Alice Brown, Frances Heaton and Sir Anthony for their work on the committee and for the significant contribution they have made to standards in public life.

Engagements

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to meet the Prime Minister of Sweden.

Tony Blair: I expect to next meet Prime Minister Persson at the opening of the EU Intergovernmental Conference in Rome on 4 October.

EU Reform

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what progress has been made on the Reform Agenda in the EU.

Tony Blair: Reforms which will be discussed in the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference include the creation of a full-time Chair for the European Council and streamlining of the Union's structure and decision making. The European Council agreed in Seville last year to reform the way it works so it can better set the EU's strategic agenda. Progress, albeit not yet enough, has been achieved in the economic reform agenda agreed at Lisbon. Significant reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy were made in June this year. Alongside these, the EU is implementing the changes agreed in the Treaty of Nice in order to incorporate 10 new members in May next year.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister when the Iraq Communications Group has met since 1 September 2002; who the members of the group are; who chairs the group; and from which budget its resources are drawn.

Tony Blair: The Iraq Communications Group was formalised on 5 December 2002 and met on a weekly basis thereafter. Prior to that, its members met on an ad hoc basis. Meetings have become less frequent since the end of the conflict in Iraq. There have been approximately 19 meetings in total.
	Membership varies, but it would normally include the FCO, MOD, Cabinet Office and DfID. Alastair Campbell chaired the ICG, but chairmanship has now passed to the FCO. There were no specific resources allocated to the ICG.

Iraq

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister whether he communicated with all members of the Intelligence and Security Committee about the content of the September 2002 dossier on Iraq.

Tony Blair: The chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, with my approval, accepted an invitation from the Intelligence and Security Committee to brief all members on the content of the September dossier at their meeting on the morning of 24 September 2002.

Iraq

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister what his reasons were for communicating with the chairman of only the Intelligence and Security Committee rather than Select Committees about the content of the September 2002 dossier on Iraq.

Tony Blair: In addition to the chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, with my approval, briefed the chairmen of the Defence and Foreign Affairs Select Committees on the content of the September dossier. All three briefings took place on 19 September 2002. The leaders of the two main Opposition parties were briefed on the previous day.

Iraq

Tony Wright: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the intelligence assessment contained in the Joint Intelligence Committee report, "International Terrorism: War with Iraq", of 10 February.

Tony Blair: Joint Intelligence Committee intelligence assessments are exempt from disclosure under exemption l(a) and 1(c) of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Iraq

David Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister what the Government's policy is on a Security Council resolution that would give a political involvement in Iraq's future to the Security Council.

Tony Blair: The Government believe that it is for the Iraqi people to determine their own political future. This view is shared by other members of the Security Council and was stated in Security Council Resolution 1483.

Joint Intelligence Committee

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what official channels exist for members of the security services to flag up concerns over the interpretation of raw intelligence data to the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee.

Tony Blair: There are established procedures by which the views of members of the intelligence and security agencies are relayed to the JIC. Before a paper is taken by the JIC, it is discussed at working level and then considered more formally during inter-departmental meetings (called Current Intelligence Groups or CIGS) at which representatives reflect the agreed views of their agencies and Departments. If outstanding issues remain, staff are expected to raise the matter with their representative on the JIC who will bring it to the attention of the committee when appropriate. Additionally, staff in the security and intelligence agencies are able to take any concerns or grievances they have, and which they have been unable to resolve within their internal management chain, to the staff counsellor who acts as an independent adviser.

Mongolia

James Gray: To ask the Prime Minister if he will receive an official visit from the Prime Minister of Mongolia.

Tony Blair: The Mongolian Prime Minister, Mr. Nambaryn Enkhbayar, will visit the UK as a guest of Her Majesty's Government from 23–25 October this year.

Sweden (Euro Referendum)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister of Sweden on the result of the Swedish euro referendum; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I am in regular touch with Prime Minister Persson on a range of issues. We spoke most recently on 12 September.
	We respect the decision made by the people of Sweden on 14 September. The UK policy remains as before as I set out in my answers to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith) at Prime Minister's Questions on 17 September 2003, Official Report, columns 851–52.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Female Entrepreneurs

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Minister for Women what steps the Government are taking to encourage more women to start up small and medium-sized enterprises.

Jacqui Smith: The Government are committed to creating an environment and a culture that encourages more women to start or grow businesses and provides the necessary help and support. This is why we launched a national Strategic Framework for Women's Enterprise in May this year to provide a co-ordinated and long-term approach to the development of women's enterprise.
	We are now working with our partners nationally and in the regions to take forward the recommendations of the Framework.
	We are, for example, already engaged with regional development agencies, the Business Link Network and women's enterprise networks to ensure that the need of enterprising women everywhere are properly met.

Information and Communications Technology

David Taylor: To ask the Minister for Women what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on strategies to increase the number of women entering the information and communications technology profession; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The DTI and DfES are working together to reverse the under-representation of women in ICT. I announced in April a new strategy to improve the participation of women in science, engineering and technology careers. The Government Skills Strategy is creating new opportunities for women to develop the skills they need.

Women's Refuges

David Chaytor: To ask the Minister for Women what plans she has to increase funding to women's refuges.

Jacqui Smith: The Government are committed to increasing the full range of accommodation options for victims of domestic violence, including more refuges and better help to support victims to stay in their own homes if appropriate. The Government is investing through the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister £8.9 million this financial year in refuges provision and the Housing Corporation has allocated an additional £9.9 million.

Parliamentary Questions

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women how many questions directed to her remain unanswered.

Patricia Hewitt: Of those questions tabled for answer up to and including 17 September 2003, there is one question remaining unanswered.

Public Appointments

Vera Baird: To ask the Minister for Women what steps she is taking to encourage more women to apply for public appointments.

Jacqui Smith: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has set a target of between 45 to 50 per cent. women in public appointments made by our Department. This target is supported by a number of initiatives my right hon. Friend has led over the past two years; for example, a national outreach campaign targeted at over 2,000 women from diverse backgrounds. These women are well represented at local and regional level, and have many skills needed to be successful when applying for national appointments. Our Department also produced a practical guide to enable others to carry on this outreach work and over 3,000 have been distributed. As part of the outreach programme, we have also commissioned research to learn more about what barriers women face when applying for public appointments.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Manufacturing Output

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent reports she has received on the impact of trends in manufacturing output in the UK upon the economy in the south-east.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State receives regular reports from a variety of sources on manufacturing output at both the national and regional level.

Coal Industry Investment Aid Scheme

Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects the first payments to be made under the Coal Industry Investment Aid Scheme.

Stephen Timms: Applications for first period aid are being assessed at the moment. First payments to successful projects will be made as soon as possible after the decisions have been made.

Small Businesses

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with the Inland Revenue on the taxation position of small businesses run by married couples.

Nigel Griffiths: The DTI has regular contact with the Inland Revenue on the taxation of small businesses generally including those run by married couples.

Advertising

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further measures she is planning to prevent the publication of misleading advertising; and if she will list those advertisers issued with court orders in each year since 2000 to prevent the continued publication of misleading advertising.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Non-broadcast advertising is controlled mainly by self-regulation under which the Advertising Standards Authority is responsible for ensuring compliance with the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing. Providing legislative backing to the Code is the Control of Misleading Advertising Regulations 1988, which empowers the Office of Fair Trading to investigate complaints about misleading advertisements, and where necessary, to seek injunctions against further publication. OFT also have powers under the Enterprise Act (previously under the Stop Now Orders (EC Directive) Regulations 2001) to take action against misleading advertising that harms the collective interests of consumers. These powers are shared by Trading Standards Services. I have no plans to introduce any further measures in relation to misleading advertising.
	During the period 2002–03, OFT obtained written assurances/undertakings in 25 cases. OFT obtained no Court Orders in 2000 or 2001. Court Orders obtained during 2002–03 were as follows:
	
		
			  Court Order Advertiser 
		
		
			 6 March 2002 Interim InjunctionCMARS Planet Telecom plc192enquiries.com Ltd. Peter HutcheonJohn Tonge 
			 30 May 2002 Final InjunctionCMARS Data Protection Agency Services Ltd.Michael Sullivan 
			 25 June 2002 Interim InjunctionCMARS DPARS Ltd.Gary McNeish(both also trading as Data Protection Act Registration Service) 
			 10 July 2002 Court Order(Stop Now Orders (EC Directive)Regulations 2001) John Christopher InesonBlake Hamilton Ltd.Property Associates (UK) Ltd. 
			 22 July 2002 Final InjunctionCMARS Planet Telecom plcPeter HutcheonJohn Tonge 
			 12 November 2002 Final InjunctionCMARS DPARS Ltd.Gary McNeish(both trading as Data Protection Act Registration Service) 
			 7 August 2003 Interim InjunctionCMARS Christopher Yewdall

Manufacturing Advisory Service

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what analysis has been conducted of the effect of the Manufacturing Advisory Service on small and medium-sized companies.

Patricia Hewitt: We receive regular reports of the impact of the Manufacturing Advisory Service on the companies it helps, most of whom are SMEs. These reports are very impressive. We are seeing substantial improvements in the productivity of companies that are taking advantage of its in-depth consultancy service.

Broadband

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the latest figures are for coverage by broadband in (a) urban and (b) rural areas.

Stephen Timms: Some 80 per cent. of UK households have access to a mass-market broadband solution targeted at residential or small business customers. The most recent statistics giving the breakdown for urban and rural areas are from June 2003. At that point national coverage was 76 per cent., urban and suburban areas, 92 per cent. and rural areas, 28 per cent.

Chemical Exports

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under what circumstances chemicals banned for use in the UK can be manufactured in this country and exported outside the EU.

Des Browne: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no absolute prohibition on the export to non-EU countries of chemicals banned for use in the UK.
	However, arrangements to ensure that recipient countries are aware of the potential hazards of imported chemicals are provided by EC Regulation 304/2003 (copy in the Library). This regulation implements the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC) for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade. The PIC procedure gives importing countries the opportunity to refuse, or apply conditions to, imports of certain dangerous chemicals.

Company Contracts

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information her Department gathers on the placement of contracts with United Kingdom companies by (a) US and (b) US/UK business partnerships; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not collected in this form.

Consumer Credit Legislation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will set out her timetable for reforming consumer credit legislation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I intend to publish a White Paper on consumer credit this autumn. This will include the timetable for reforming consumer credit legislation.

Copyright

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the extent of infringement of copyright in the downloading of music from the internet; and what further action she proposes to prevent it.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Anniesland (John Robertson), on 15 September 2003, Official Report, columns 538–39.

Customs and Excise

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has in cases where Her Majesty's Customs and Excise seize imported goods for inspection to limit recovery of their costs to businesses which are subsequently found to be importing counterfeit and illegal goods.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has no plans to seek changes to the EC Regulation applying to seizure of counterfeit and pirate goods at the border which governs activity in this area. The policy in and operation of this Regulation is for Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, which in turn, is the responsibility of my colleagues in the Treasury.

Debt Management

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licensed debt collectors operate in the UK; how many complaints have been received regarding the conduct of debt collectors, in each year since 2000; how many complaints have been upheld in each year since 2000; how many debt collectors have been banned from practising in each year since 2000; and if she will place in the Library a list of banned debt collectors.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Office of Fair Trading is responsible for licensing and investigating complaints regarding debt collectors and other bodies involved in the consumer credit market.
	The current consumer credit licence categories do not distinguish between debt collection and certain other forms of licensed lending. However, a recent survey by the Credit Services Association, a major trade body for the sector, suggests there are approximately 400 debt collection businesses in the UK, 206 of whom are its members.
	Separate debt collection complaint data have not been recorded over the full period in question.
	In January 2003, the OFT set up a specialist team to deal with complaints regarding debt collection; issuing debt collection guidance in July 2003, which sets out practices affecting fitness to hold a consumer credit licence. There are currently 82 complaints under investigation.
	In 2000, the OFT issued 20 debt collectors with notices that it was minded to revoke, refuse or vary licences; 10 in 2001 and five in 2002 to March 2003.
	Data on adverse determinations have not been recorded over the period in question by industry type, and it is not possible to provide a comprehensive list of debt collectors that have had their licence refused or revoked at this time.
	Where there is insufficient evidence to recommend formal action, the OFT also issues warning letters to companies. This activity helps to secure compliance and enables prompt action if future evidence of breaches is received.
	Data on how many debt collectors have been banned in each year since 2000 have not been collated and this could be done only at disproportionate cost. The Consumer Credit Public Register includes details of everyone holding a licence, everyone who has applied for one, or had one revoked, suspended or varied. It is held by the Office of Fair Trading, and the public can search the public register by telephone or visit in person.

Electricity Supply (Subsidies)

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what public subsidies have been made available to electricity suppliers in each year since 1983.

Stephen Timms: There have been no public subsidies to electricity suppliers since privatisation. I am not aware of any subsidies before privatisation, but confirmation of this could be made only at disproportionate cost.
	The Government have, of course, made a credit facility available to British Energy while the company agrees and implements its restructuring plan.

Singapore Issues

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the attitude of the developing countries to the EU's Singapore issues.

Patricia Hewitt: The EU does not have exclusive ownership of the Singapore issues, all WTO Members agreed to include it as part of the Doha Development Agenda in 2001.
	Although we have supported the EU in its mandate on the Singapore issues, we have always made clear that concerns of developing countries need to be taken into account—especially in respect of negotiating capacity. I myself have for some time made it clear, both publicly and privately, that while I strongly support more foreign direct investment going to developing countries, it is not a priority of this government to launch negotiations on an investment agreement.
	At Cancun, the Commission were made aware of developing country concerns on the proposed WTO agreements on investment and competition. On the final day of the Ministerial Conference, Commissioner Lamy, with the backing of the EU delegations, offered to drop the proposal to start negotiations on WTO investment and competition agreements completely.

Foreign Workers

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures her Department is taking to prevent the exploitation of foreign workers on low wages by (a) British companies and (b) foreign companies doing business in the United Kingdom.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The minimum wage was introduced to help prevent the exploitation of workers. It applies to nearly all workers with contracts in the UK, regardless of their nationality or that of their employers, and it is enforced by the Inland Revenue on this basis.
	In addition, where the DTI becomes aware of a potential problem in connection with an employment agency, steps are taken to address it. For example, when DTI became aware of allegations about the mistreatment by agencies of Portuguese agricultural workers in the UK, contact was made immediately with the Portuguese Government to offer help in ensuring Portuguese agricultural workers en route to the UK are fully aware of their rights under EU and British law and know where to go to present any evidence of improper practice or abuse. UK and Portuguese officials and the Citizens Advice Bureau are currently working together on the production and distribution in the UK and Portugal of a leaflet in Portuguese giving guidance on employment rights under UK and EU law, and advising of sources of support and advice for workers.

Holiday Companies

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are in place to ensure that holiday companies provide accurate information about the holidays they provide; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Package tour organisers or retailers are required under The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 to provide specific information on various elements of a package holiday. Failure to provide such information is a criminal offence. Tour operators who provide misleading information in their brochures may also be prosecuted under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968.
	In addition, members of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) are required to meet certain standards, which are specified in the ABTA Code of Conduct.

Iraq

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2003, Official Report, column 127W, on Iraq, if she will press the European Commission to include goods from Iraq in the Generalised System of Preferences as soon as possible.

Mike O'Brien: The UK has made representation to the European Commission on Iraq's eligibility under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), conveying the UK Government's wish to re-instate GSP in Iraq as soon as possible.
	A key requirement for GSP to be re-instated in Iraq is for administrative co-operation to be restored in the country. The situation with respect to authorities in Iraq continues to be unclear. The UK Government will continue its dialogue with the commission to move this matter forward.

Iraq

Richard Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many contracts have been secured by British companies in connection with the reconstruction of Iraq; and what their approximate value is.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 11 September 2003
	According to the latest information we have from the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq, British companies have so far secured 18 per cent. of sub-contracts awarded by Bechtel, worth approximately £10 million. UK companies have also secured contracts from other organisations funding reconstruction projects in Iraq but we do not have details of the value of these contracts.

Manufacturing Industry

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to improve the skills base of manufacturing industry.

Jacqui Smith: My Department published a manufacturing strategy in May 2002; it sets out seven areas of activity for manufacturing success of which one was raising skills and education levels.
	My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Trade and Industry and for Education and Skills have since set out in the Governments Skills Strategy launched in July 2003 how we are putting employers centre stage, ensuring they have the right skills to support their businesses and organisations.
	This Skills Strategy applies to the manufacturing industry as to other industries and all areas of UK business.

OFCOM

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Cabinet Office on updating Schedule 2 of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 to make OFCOM subject to the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner; and when an appropriate order will be made to amend Schedule 2 of the Act.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 8 September 2003
	The intention was to make an order by the date on which the Communications Act received Royal Assent. In the event, however, the process could not be completed before the summer recess, owing to the need for various interested parties to be consulted on certain points of detail that arose during drafting. Arrangements are now in hand to make an order in good time to ensure that OFCOM is within the Parliamentary Commissioner's jurisdiction before it acquires its new functions.

Office for Civil Nuclear Security

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many requests for information on the Office for Civil Nuclear Security were received from the media between April 2002 and March 2003; how many requests were refused; what the reasons for refusal were in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Department does not keep this information.

Oil Pipelines (Caucasus)

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she discussed with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the environmental impacts of the Baku Tbilisi Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Project; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 16 September 2003
	My officials are in regular contact with DEFRA officials regarding the ETC project.
	Cover will only be provided if ECGD are satisfied that the relevant environmental, social and human rights impacts have been addressed and that the financial and project risks are acceptable.

Omega Site (Warrington)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the future impact on employment in Warrington of the development of the Omega site; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: Omega South is one of the North West Development Agency's strategic regional sites. It has the potential to create some 12,000 jobs and it is essential that a development of this scale and significance is consistent with both national and regional planning policies.

Parliamentary Questions

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many questions directed to her remain unanswered.

Patricia Hewitt: Of those questions tabled for answer up to and including 17 September, there are 90 questions remaining unanswered.

Personnel Administration

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff were employed in personnel administration within the Department in each year since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: Given the changes to the structure and organisation of the Department since 1997, I am unable to provide comparative figures immediately. I will write to the hon. Member giving her what information we have available.

Postal Services

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the closure of the post office at Priors Park, Tewkesbury.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 15 September 2003
	Consultation on a proposal to close Priors Park post office was announced by Post Office Ltd. on 4 July. Their decision to proceed with closure was notified on 22 August, and I understand that the office is due to close on 29 September.

Postal Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on post office closures in the south-east.

Stephen Timms: Post office closures are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I understand from them that in the year to end March 2003, there were net closures of 39 post-offices in south-east England, of which 19 were under the urban reinvention programme. In the quarter to end June 2003, there were 56 net closures of which 50 were under the urban reinvention programme.

Property Ownership Rights

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the impact of delays in establishing property ownership rights in developing countries upon British companies trading in such countries.

Mike O'Brien: We have not made an assessment in these terms.

Renewable Obligation Certificates

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to reform the arrangements for renewable obligation certificate trading, with specific reference to the protection of traders affected by losses caused by a supplier going out of business.

Stephen Timms: I am aware of the concerns of traders likely to affected by the potential shortfall in the Renewables Buy-Out Fund, as a consequence of TXU's going into administration.
	However since the extent of any possible shortfall will not be clear until 1 October, it is too early at this stage to assess the impact on the renewables market or to assess whether there is a need to make any changes to the renewables obligation.

Renewable Obligation Certificates

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to ensure compliance under arrangements for renewable obligation certificate trading.

Stephen Timms: Under the Renewables Obligation Order 2002, Ofgem have responsibility for monitoring compliance with the Renewables Obligation. Licensed electricity suppliers must demonstrate compliance to Ofgem by 1 October either through redeeming Renewable Obligation Certificates or paying the buy-out price.

Thorp

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the value of investments in Thorp.

Stephen Timms: An assessment of the economics of Thorp was published in 1993 as part of the public consultation process concerning operation of the plant. This assessment may be found in the Library of the House. It states that the costs associated with constructing Thorp amounted to £5.5 billion. It also explains that the contracts for the baseload period of the plant's operation provide for recovery of full capital costs as well as the on-going operating costs and provide for the operator, BNFL, to make a profit. Details of BNFL's financial performance—including the performance of its spent fuel management business—are provided in the company's annual reports which are also in the Libraries of the House.

Thorp

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received from the Irish Minister for the Environment on projected closure dates for the Thorp nuclear plant at Sellafield.

Stephen Timms: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry received a letter dated 26 August from Ireland's Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government which seeks information about the future operation of Thorp in the light of extensive recent media reports on this matter in Ireland.

Unsecured Loans

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what powers there are to restrict young adults in borrowing large amounts of money in unsecured loans; and what plans she has for further action to limit the amount of money young adults are allowed to borrow in unsecured loans;
	(2)  whether financial services companies are required to assess a young adult client's ability to repay loans before allowing a loan;
	(3)  how many people under 25 are being prosecuted for non-payment of loans.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 17 September 2003
	There are currently no powers to restrict the access of any individual over the age of 18 to credit.
	Lenders, who have signed up to voluntary codes of practice such as the British Banking Code or the Finance and Leasing Association Code, provide the majority of credit. These require them to assess a consumer's ability to repay any credit they are seeking to borrow. I intend to publish a White Paper on consumer credit this autumn, which will include proposals to require all lenders lend responsibly.
	Figures are not collated centrally for how many individuals are prosecuted for non-payment of loans and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

World Trade Negotiations

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to promote the interests of developing countries in world trade negotiations; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry made a statement to the House on Wednesday 17 September 2003, Official Report, columns 861–63 and I refer the hon. Member to that statement.

World Trade Negotiations

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she will make at Cancun with respect to improving property ownership structures and recognition in developing countries.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 16 September 2003
	The Government have always made clear that the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) should provide real benefits for developing countries. We took the opportunity of the World Trade Organisation Ministerial talks in Cancun to press for progress in the various trade and development issues contained in the DDA.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the oral statement made in the House on 17 September.

World Trade Negotiations

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether (a) the EU Commissioner and (b) she asked the Chairman to reconsider the closure of the WTO meeting at Cancun.

Patricia Hewitt: I and a number of EU colleagues asked Commissioner Lamy at a meeting of the EU Council on Sunday to urge the Chairman to reconsider the closure of the conference. The EU along with other WTO members felt that with more time, it would have been possible to reach an agreement which would have benefited both developing and developed countries.

World Trade Negotiations

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the United Kingdom tried to change the EU policy at the Cancun Summit in the light of the views of developing countries.

Patricia Hewitt: The UK played a major role in supporting the EU's negotiating mandate at Cancun. We were able to use our particular links with Commonwealth countries and others to understand their concerns and to explain to them the EU position and vice versa. We and others were able to relay to the Commission the concerns which some developing countries had on some issues e.g. the Singapore issues. I myself have for some time made it clear publicly and privately that, while I strongly support developing countries receiving more foreign direct investment, it is not a priority of this government to launch negotiations on an investment agreement.
	It was Commissioner Lamy who took the decision, with agreement of all EU members states to drop the proposal to launch negotiations on the WTO agreements on investment and competition.

World Trade Negotiations

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the United Kingdom delegation to the Cancun Summit departed from the EU line during the plenary sessions.

Patricia Hewitt: No. We fully supported the EU position during the plenary sessions at Cancun.

World Trade Negotiations

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she had with the EU Trade Commissioner during the course of the Cancun Summit.

Patricia Hewitt: I met Commissioner Lamy at two European Councils. I also had informal discussions with him.

World Trade Negotiations

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the cost to the UK economy of the recent collapse of the talks at the World Trade Organisation Fifth Ministerial in Cancun.

Patricia Hewitt: The lack of progress at Cancun was disappointing, but it does not mean that the Doha Development Round of trade liberalisation is over.
	The benefits to developing and developed world economies from a successful round which achieves real liberalisation are considerable.
	A number of studies have attempted to quantify these gains. The size of the estimated gains vary significantly depending on, among other things, the scale of liberalisation assumed to be implemented, the timing of liberalisation and the range of benefits taken into account.
	These studies do not separately identify the effects on the UK economy, but they do suggest that the EU as a whole would benefit from trade liberalisation. A study by the European Commission 1 , for example, estimated the gains to the EU from a global 50 per cent. cut in protection would be in the region of $92 billion. A reasonable assumption is that the gains to the UK would be roughly proportional to our share of EU GDP and external trade (around 17 per cent.). This would imply annual income gains in the region of $16 billion. Another study by Michigan University 2 suggests that global elimination of trade barriers could increase EU incomes by as much as $500 billion. Again, assuming the UK gains proportionately, this could mean an annual boost to UK incomes of over $70 billion. The benefits would feed through gradually as liberalisation is implemented in many scenarios taking over a decade.
	In addition, a successful round of trade liberalisation is likely to have a more immediate effect by providing a boost to global economic confidence. The scale of this benefit is impossible to predict but would certainly be considerable.
	1 The Millennium Round: An economic appraisal by Nigel Nagarajan 1999.
	2 "CGE Modelling and Analysis of Multilateral and Regional Negotiating Options" Drusilla Brown, Alan Deardoff and Robert Stern Michigan Discussion Paper number 468 2001.

World Trade Negotiations

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her attendance at the Fifth World Trade Organisation Ministerial held recently in Cancun.

Patricia Hewitt: I made a full statement to the House, on my attendance at the recent 5th World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference held in Cancun, on Wednesday 17 September.

TRANSPORT

Airport Consultation

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received on prospective promoters in respect of (a) the Cliffe airport proposal and (b) other North Kent estuarial airport proposals.

Tony McNulty: In response to "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East" consultation, a number of proposals for new airport capacity that are alternatives to, or variants of, options set out in the Government's consultation document, have been submitted. These include two sites in North Kent and the Marinair proposal for an airport on an island in the Thames estuary.

Airport Consultation

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the identification and recommendation of airport sites for further development in the air transport White Paper will be based on (a) commercial viability and (b) availability of private sector funding to meet the full cost.

Tony McNulty: We are currently analysing the many thousands of responses received to "the Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom" consultation. Ministers will take decisions based on the factual appraisal and views expressed by interested parties, which will help Ministers come to a view on what weight they should attach to different considerations, and how to balance these. Commercial and financial viability are considerations specified in the published SERAS appraisal methodology.
	The Government intends to publish its conclusions in a White Paper later this year.

Biofuels

Gillian Shephard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date under the EU Directive 2003/30/EC Article 4 he is required to set a target for biofuel use in the UK by the end of 2005.

David Jamieson: The Directive must be implemented in full by 31 December 2004, but the European Commission has asked member states in advance of this to submit targets for biofuel use in 2005 by July 2004. We will be consulting stakeholders on possible UK targets in early 2004, before deciding on the UK targets.

Commercial Flights

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many commercial flights were made from British airports in each of the last five years; and what percentage were (a) four hours or longer and (b) four hours or less.

Tony McNulty: The available information is as follows:
	
		Commercial air transport movements(1): United Kingdom
		
			   Percentage 
			  Number (thousand) Short haul(2) Long haul 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1998 1,504 88.6 11.4 
			 1999 1,580 88.6 11.4 
			 2000 1,663 88.7 11.3 
			 2001 1,690 89.0 11.0 
			 2002 1,683 89.2 10.8 
		
	
	(1) Landings and take-offs of aircraft engaged in commercial air transport. Includes all scheduled movements (loaded or empty) and loaded charter movements, but excludes empty positioning flights.
	(2) Domestic flights, flights between the UK and Europe or North Africa, and flights to/from oil rigs.
	Source:
	Civil Aviation Authority

Deep Vein Thrombosis

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek amendments to the Warsaw Convention to permit claims for compensation by air travellers who suffer deep vein thrombosis.

Tony McNulty: The Warsaw Convention will be subject to no further amendment or reform. The 1999 Montreal Convention, which is due to come into force internationally later this year, will consolidate, update and eventually replace all previous international agreements on air carrier liability, including the 1929 Warsaw Convention.
	The purpose of the Warsaw Convention is to cover risks inherent to travelling by air, not damage occurring co-incidentally while in flight. For this reason, claimants must show that an "accident" had occurred. This question has been considered by the English High Court within the context of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and it concluded that such an occurrence does not fall within the accepted understanding of an "accident". I believe the legal framework for establishing liability to be satisfactory and that it is for the courts to decide specific cases within that framework.

London Underground

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last travelled by London Underground on official business.

Alistair Darling: I last travelled by London Underground on official business on 17 September 2003.

M6

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received from the Highways Agency about the options for widening the M6 motorway between junctions 11 and 20; and what arrangements he intends to make for public consultation on his plans for this widening.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency is currently examining options for widening the M6 motorway. This has raised some complex issues and the Agency expects to bring forward further detailed advice early in 2004. Once a scheme has been approved for inclusion in the Targeted Programme of Improvements there would be further statutory and non-statutory procedures including consultation. In the meantime the Highways Agency has been liasing with both affected local authorities and with the Statutory Environmental Bodies in progressing their work.

Mayor of London

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the Mayor of London.

Tony McNulty: Ministers have regular meetings with the Mayor at which a wide range of transport matters are discussed. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport last met the Mayor on 7 September at the Osiris II exercise at Bank station.

Microsoft

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was paid to Microsoft in licensing fees by his Department and its agencies in each of the last three years; and how much has been budgeted for (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

Tony McNulty: Since 2000 there have been two Machinery of Government changes affecting what is now the Department of Transport. As a result the number of staff has changed considerably. It is not possible to analyse the total cost of licensing to identify where the costs were incurred on behalf of what is now DfT. Therefore the figures given for DfT(c) reflect spend by the Department as it was at the time.
	The amount paid to Microsoft for the last three years is:
	
		Spend (£)
		
			 Organisation 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Centre of the Department
			 DETR 171,300 — — 
			 DTLR — 198,400  
			 DfT — — 307,500 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency n/a 459,900 489,400 
			 Driving Standards Agency 7,900 over two years 81,000 
			 Highways Agency 640,000 580,000 175,000 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 0 0 291,000 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 3,170 3,260 9,380 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency(Previously Vehicle Inspectorate andTraffic Area Network) 100,000 100,000 136,400 
		
	
	Budgets for spend in the current year, 2003–04, and future years are withheld on the grounds of commercial confidentiality.

Motorways

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorway service areas there are in England; and, of these, how many have CCTV cameras installed in public parking areas to guard against thefts of, and from, vehicles.

David Jamieson: There are 69 motorway service areas (MSAs) in England.
	Close Circuit Television coverage of the public parking areas is provided at 14 MSAs. Most MSA operators offer full CCTV coverage of the commercial areas of their sites. In instances where MSA operators are aware of a problem of theft from parked vehicles, particularly within the lorry compounds, they have taken separate action.

Motorways

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it a condition of all future licences to operate motorway service areas that CCTV cameras be installed in public parking areas.

David Jamieson: Motorway service areas (MSAs) are private sector enterprises, subject to the normal planning processes. It is for them to decide on the most appropriate form of security measures at each site. The Government do require certain minimum requirements as a condition of their signing and access from the motorway. It would be inappropriate for these to include a stipulation on how security at each site should be provided.

Redhill Aerodrome

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what analysis he has made of the air safety aspects of plans to develop Redhill Aerodrome, with special reference to provisions for missed approach procedures; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the height above the M23 of incoming aircraft if the proposal to develop Redhill Aerodrome were to proceed.

Tony McNulty: In response to "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom: South East" consultation, a proposal for the development of Redhill aerodrome has been submitted. This proposal is being considered in the on-going analysis of responses to the consultation.

Transport Infrastructure

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much transport infrastructure maintenance cost the Government in each year from 1990 to 2003.

Tony McNulty: Transport infrastructure maintenance is taken to encompass maintenance on Road and Rail only, and is detailed as follows.
	Table 1 shows the cost of maintenance from 1991–2002 road maintenance. Numbers are as detailed in the National Road Maintenance Condition Survey (NRMCS) annual report. These numbers are also given as cash prices.
	Rail figures are detailed in Table 1 for the years 1996–2003, and have been taken from the Railtrack 2001 Network Management Statement (2001), and the 2003 Network Rail Annual Return. These have also been shown in cash prices. It is important to note that these figures also may include non-Government expenditure, but it is not possible to disaggregate this out.
	Rail figures prior to 1996 are not immediately accessible and to obtain these numbers would present a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			Road maintenance 
			  Rail maintenance 2001–02 prices(4) Cash prices(4) 
			  2001–02 prices(3) Cash prices(3) Non-trunk roads Trunk roads(5) Non-trunk roads Trunk roads(5) 
		
		
			 1991–92 — — 2,401 741 1,803 556 
			 1992–93 — — 2,379 796 1,844 617 
			 1993–94 — — 2,409 838 1,913 665 
			 1994–95 — — 2,387 841 1,921 677 
			 1995–96 — — 2,225 665 1,842 550 
			 1996–97 840 739 1,970 595 1,683 508 
			 1997–98 780 707 1,793 648 1,578 571 
			 1998–99 747 696 1,742 655 1,575 592 
			 1999–2000 702 670 1,834 716 1,699 664 
			 2000–01 725 698 1,907 757 1,807 717 
			 2001–02 — 950 2,168 668 2,105 649 
			 2002–03 — 1,184 — — 2,515 741 
		
	
	(3) 1996–97 to 2000–01 taken from Railtrack 2001 Network Management Statement. 2000–01 to 2002–03 Cash prices taken from Network Rail 2003 Annual Return.
	(4) 2001–02 prices taken from the National Road Maintenance Condition Survey (NRMCS) for road maintenance.
	(5) Including motorways.

US Warship Disposal

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of towing former US naval ships off the North East coast on their way to be broken up.

David Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are aware of proposals to bring ships from the US reserve fleet to the UK for dismantling at a facility in Teesside.
	Accessible pollutants will be removed from the ships before transit, as required by the Basel Convention on the control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes. The MCA monitors the standards of vessels entering UK waters and co-ordinates any response to pollution outside of harbour areas via the National Contingency Plan for Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations. It is empowered to take action should any pollution incident occur within the UK Pollution Control Zone.

US Warship Disposal

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether UK agreement to a passage plan for the proposed tow of former US naval ships to the UK is required in advance of the vessels leaving the US.

David Jamieson: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is in close liaison with the US Government and the companies involved with these ships. A formal passage plan will be agreed prior to the ships leaving the US and will also be agreed with the French and Belgian Governments.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to extend reduced rates of vehicle excise duty to cars converted to LPG/autogas that were registered before March 2001; and if he will extend the powershift programme of grants to cars that are more than five years old.

David Jamieson: Rates and structure of vehicle excise duty are a matter for the Chancellor in his budget. In deciding these rates he weighs a large number of social, economic, environmental and other factors.
	The Chancellor announced in Budget 2003 that the Government would be consulting stakeholders on how best to ensure that future support for road fuel gases continued to reflect environmental and other policy objectives, with a view to announcing decisions on future duty rates and other forms of support in the 2003 Pre-budget Report. A joint Department for Transport, Treasury and Customs and Excise consultation document "Road fuel gases and their contribution to clean low-carbon transport: Establishing a consistent and durable framework of Government support" discussed the issues and invited comments by 17 September. The Government are now considering the responses received.

Working Time Directive

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made with implementing the 48 hour working week for workers in the transport sector.

Tony McNulty: On 1 August 2003, the Department of Trade and Industry implemented "The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2003". These apply the 48 hour average working week to non-mobile workers in the transport sector and drivers of vehicles subject to domestic drivers' hours rules in the road transport sector.
	Mobile workers who are affected by the EU drivers' hours rules, will be subject to the average 48 hour week from March 2005, under the sector specific road transport directive (2002/15/EC). The Department for Transport has consulted and received comments from key stakeholders in the road transport industry. We will also publish a partial regulatory impact assessment and consultation document shortly, on our plans to implement the directive into UK law.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the Government are doing to equip hospitals in Afghanistan.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Afghanistan Transitional Administration (ATA) has asked donors to concentrate on a few key areas of the reconstruction effort where they can have most impact. In response to this and after consultation with the ATA and other donors, the UK is concentrating on building the capacity of the Afghan Government, humanitarian aid and programmes to support the development of income generation.
	Healthcare is not currently one of DFID's focus areas in Afghanistan, and we are therefore not involved in equipping hospitals. Nevertheless, we have funded a consultant that has worked with the Ministry of Health on hospital management.
	We also fund Afghanistan's reconstruction effort through multi-lateral channels. The UK is the fourth largest donor to UNICEF and provided £44 million overall funding in 2002. We provide 19 per cent. of the European Union's £282 million package of reconstruction support for Afghanistan for 2003–04, of which £17.5 million is programmed for the health sector to help reduce infant and maternal mortality by providing a basic healthcare package. We are also contributing towards the World Bank's Afghanistan Health Sector Emergency Reconstruction and Development Project, which aims to help expand delivery of basic health services and works to ensure equitable access, particularly for women and children.
	Since April 2002, the European Commission has worked with the United States to rebuild 72 hospitals, clinics and women's healthcare centres, revise the national curriculum for midwives and vaccinate £4.3 million children against measles. Over 2003 and 2004, the EC will channel support through the Government to deliver health services to three million people and help to reduce the unacceptably high levels of child and maternal mortality.
	UNICEF has supported Emergency Obstetric Care services in 20 districts and refurbished Malalai hospital, the largest maternity hospital in Kabul, with 15,000 deliveries every year. UNICEF plans to launch other facilities in Kandahar, Herat and Jalalabad to build up the maternal health infrastructure.

AIDS/HIV

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the Government is doing to help those suffering from AIDS and HIV in the developing world.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) recognises that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the most important development challenges. In recognition of this DFID has increased HIV/AIDS related bilateral expenditure from £38 million in 1997–98 to over £270 million in 2002–03.
	Intensive bi-lateral action on HIV/AIDS is under way including in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. At a global level, the UK Government makes significant contributions to support HIV/AIDS programmes of multilateral organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations in a coherent effort to combat this disease.
	The UK has pledged US$280 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, up to the year 2008 and has committed £14 million to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and £16 million to the Medical Research Council's Microbicides Development Programme.

Arms Proliferation

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development whether there is a consensus among European partners on the proliferation of small arms in developing countries.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Over the last five years European states, through the European Union and its accession countries, have consistently demonstrated a commitment to support efforts to tackle the proliferation of small arms in developing countries through continuing EU programmes. Currently these programmes are enacted as part of the Joint Action on the European Union's contribution to combating the destabilising accumulation and uncontrolled spread of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), adopted on 12 July 2002 by the European Council.
	The EU aims to strengthen the efforts to reduce the availability and supply of SALW to areas of conflict or potential conflict, to contribute to the development of a range of international measures to limit the demand for SALW in such areas, and to help governments to cope with the problems these weapons cause.
	The EU currently supports programmes in Cambodia, in central America through the UN Regional Centre in Lima and in conjunction with UNDP in south eastern Europe (the South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse on Small Arms in Belgrade). EU supported projects in South Ossetia and Albania have recently been completed. In the last three years, the EU has committed around Euro7.5million to these programmes, through the Common Foreign and Security Policy Budget.
	In June 2003, EU member states agreed a Joint Position on brokering activities which requires members states to enact legislation to regulate activities of brokers, including brokering of small arms and light weapons.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Adam Price: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what representations the Department has received about human rights violations relating to the construction of the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID and other Government Departments have received representations from several international and local NGOs about the human rights implications of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. Officials have held meetings to discuss this issue with NGOs. We have also received correspondence from Members of Parliament and members of the public.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Adam Price: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on the latest discussions with regard to the use of public money via the (a) World Bank, (b) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and (c) Export Credits Guarantee Department for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID's interest in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) project is as a shareholder in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank Group. As a shareholder, DFID has a responsibility to ensure that these institutions have properly assessed this project, including possible social and environmental impacts. EBRD and the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group are currently carrying out their normal thorough screening and safeguards procedures on the project. Once these procedures are completed, it is anticipated that they will present formal project proposals to their Executive Boards for discussion. As is standard procedure, DFID will make its decision on how to vote on the BTC project once it has received these formal proposals.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, is responsible for the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD). ECGD is currently undertaking its due diligence process for the BTC project. The project sponsors are seeking cover from ECGD for the supply of UK goods and services, and for UK investments related to the project. Cover would only be given if the Department were satisfied that the relevant environmental, social and human rights impacts had been properly addressed, and that the financial and project risks were acceptable.

Central Africa

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how much assistance he gave to (a) Rwanda, (b) Uganda and (c) Angola in each of the last five years, broken down by subject under which the assistance was allocated; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has a policy of focusing its resources in Africa. Rwanda and Uganda are both countries where we have strong development partnerships. We are currently developing our plans for Angola now that the war has ended there.
	
		£
		
			 Rwanda  
		
		
			 2002–03  
			 Direct Budget Support 22,032,000 
			 Technical Co-operation 6,723,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 1,423,000 
			 Project or Sector Aid 2,348,000 
			  32,526,000 
			 2001–02  
			 Direct Budget Support 18,586,000 
			 Technical Co-operation 6,373,000 
			 Project or Sector Aid 1,488,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 741,000 
			  27,189,000 
			 2000–01  
			 Direct Budget Support 25,400,000 
			 Technical Co-operation 5,589,000 
			 Project or Sector Aid 1,052,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 837,000 
			  32,878,000 
			 1999–2000  
			 Direct Budget Support 10,000,000 
			 Technical Co-operation 2,440,000 
			 Humanitarian Assistance 1,170,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 784,000 
			  14,394,000 
			 1998–99  
			 Direct Budget Support 10,000,000 
			 Technical Co-operation 1,356,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 1,281,000 
			 Humanitarian Assistance 1,005,000 
			  13,642,000 
			 Uganda  
			 2002–03  
			 Direct Budget Support 17,500,000 
			 Technical Cooperation 15,537,000 
			 Project or Sector Aid 13,846,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 5,736,000 
			  55,142,000 
			 2001–02  
			 Direct Budget Support 35,000,000 
			 Technical Co-operation 14,679,000 
			 Project or Sector Aid . 13,974,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 4,563,000 
			  68,476,000 
			 2000–01  
			 Direct Budget Support 45,000,000 
			 Project or Sector Aid 17,856,000 
			 Technical Co-operation 15,844,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 7,323,000 
			  86,342,000 
			 1999–2000  
			 Project or Sector Aid 41,467,000 
			 Direct Budget Support 16,000,000 
			 Technical Cooperation 17,287,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 5,910,000 
			  81,206,000 
			 1998–99  
			 Direct Budget Support 17,000,000 
			 Technical Co-operation 11,928,000 
			 Grants & Aid in Kind 5,500,000 
			 Project or Sector Aid 17,785,000 
			  52,574,000 
			 Angola  
			 2002–03  
			 Technical Co-operation 3,970,000 
			 Grants & Other Aid in Kind 184,000 
			 Humanitarian Assistance 5,734,000 
			  9,888,000 
			 2001–02  
			 Technical Co-operation 1,873,000 
			 Grants & Other Aid in Kind 56,000 
			 Humanitarian Assistance 1,825,000 
			  3,754,000 
			 2000–01  
			 Technical Co-operation 1,827,000 
			 Grants & Other Aid in Kind 371,000 
			 Humanitarian Assistance 2,240,000 
			  4,438,000 
			 1999–2000  
			 Technical Co-operation 1,243,000 
			 Grants & Other Aid in Kind 625,000 
			 Humanitarian Assistance 3,236,000 
			  5,104,000 
			 1998–99  
			 Technical Co-operation 623,000 
			 Grants & Other Aid in Kind 1,185,000 
			 Humanitarian Assistance 2,500,000 
			  4,308,000

Economic Activity Development

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment the Department has made of (a) the extent of extra-legal activity in developing countries and (b) the impact of extra-legal activity on economic development in these countries; and what assistance the Government are offering to increase legal economic activity in developing countries.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: We are not aware of any comprehensive assessment of the scale of extra-legal activity in developing countries. The impact of crime, in particular corruption, transnational organised crime and money laundering, is undoubtedly profound.
	The Department provides a wide range of support to developing countries to help them address these areas. These include developing strong enforcement action against corruption and money laundering, such as strong and effective anti-corruption agencies and financial intelligence units, and establishing the full range of necessary preventive measures, such as strengthening capacity for public sector budgetary and financial management, procurement, accounting and audit; reforming civil service management, enhancing public oversight through strengthened parliamentary committees, developing measures to reduce judicial corruption and supporting civil society to promote transparency and accountability in public life. Helping countries to develop sustained improvements in the climate for productive domestic and foreign investment and facilitating greater private sector development also forms an important part of the Department's work.
	We are pleased that negotiations for the United Nations Convention Against Corruption are nearing completion. This instrument will reflect a global consensus on the importance of tackling corruption and improving international co-operation, including the return of corruptly-acquired assets to the country of origin. The UK has played an active role in these negotiations.

Export Control Act

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development pursuant to his answer of 18 June 2003, Official Report, column 241W, on the Export Control Act, whether the Department made an assessment of how the secondary legislation on export controls would (a) affect demands on departmentally-funded projects and (b) affect stability in developing countries.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: A specific separate assessment was not undertaken but clearly a strengthening of controls on the trade in arms will reduce the availability of arms, which fuel conflicts, erode security and stability and undermine sustainable development, thereby making it easier for development goals to be reached.

Immunisation Programmes

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent discussions the Department has had with the World Health Organisation regarding the availability of vaccinations for immunisation programmes in developing countries.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Department of International Development (DFID) works closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) across a wide range of health issues. This includes working with WHO on the generic issues of improving access to health commodities and to supporting specific programme needs. DFID was also until recently a Board member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI). GAVI is a public-private partnership focused on increasing children's access to vaccines in poor countries and discussions focus on issues around the availability of vaccinations in developing countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF also participate in that Board. The UK contribution to GAVI lasts till 2005 and amounts to £35 million.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment the Department has made of the conditions of the temporary prison outside Baghdad International Airport run by the coalition forces.

Hilary Benn: DFID has made no such assessment.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many Iraqi children the Department estimates have been detained at the temporary prison outside Baghdad International Airport run by coalition forces.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not hold such information.

Kosovo

Adam Price: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent humanitarian assessment the Department has made of the aftermath of the Kosovo conflict in 1999.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has aimed to assess the post-conflict situation in Kosovo in partnership with other international agencies, and with the Kosovo authorities. In December 2001, we worked with the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the International Organisation for Migration, the Dutch Government and the Statistical Office of Kosovo to produce Kosovo's first comprehensive poverty assessment. This showed that approximately 50 per cent. of Kosovo's population was living in poverty, with 12 per cent. in extreme poverty. The assessment has since been used to assist the design and monitoring of social services and benefits.
	Since then, we have focused on building the capacity of the Kosovo institutions to monitor social service delivery and poverty outcomes. We remain in discussion with other agencies on possible implementation of a second poverty assessment, and on the support needed by the Kosovo authorities to enable them to monitor poverty and deliver services effectively.

Pakistan

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent initiatives have been taken to help fund and encourage the education of girls in Pakistan.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: All of DFID's education projects in Pakistan have a strong equity focus.
	At the national level, DFID is supporting improvements to education management information systems so as to better monitor girl's education, through for example:
	the Northern Areas Education Project (£6 million) supports increased female enrolment and participation in management and delivery through improved sector management and the development of community schools. Girls' enrolment in the Northern Areas at primary level has increased from 29,438 in 1996–97 to 52,538 in 2002–03 (an increase of 78 per cent.);
	the North West Frontier Province Education Project (£6.5 million) includes support for public-private-community partnerships which are shown to increase the participation of girls; and
	the planned Azad Jammu and Kashmir community education project (£650,000) aims to sustain improvements in access to and the quality of schooling, particularly for girls.
	The EC is also supporting education sector reform with a programme of Euro59 million over the period 2002–06. The UK contributes approximately 19 per cent. of the EC programme resource.

Poverty (Middle East)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent assessment he has made of how many people are living in poverty in (a) the West Bank, (b) Gaza and (c) East Jerusalem.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Poverty in the Palestinian Occupied Territories has increased dramatically since the intifada started in September 2000. According to the most recent World Bank assessment, 60 per cent. of Palestinians, 1.9 million people, are living on less than $2 a day. In the Gaza Strip, the level is as high as 75 per cent.

Property Ownership Rights

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what support the Department gives to developing countries to improve the systems they operate to establish property ownership rights.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Over the last five years, DFID has supported developing countries to establish effective and equitable policies in relation to land and property, together with fair and efficient systems to establish and administer property rights, especially in Africa. Since this is invariably costly and long term, we seek to do this in partnership with others such as the international and regional development banks and the European Union. In Ghana and Malawi we are working alongside the World Bank and others to help establish practical, low-cost, and locally managed systems for land administration. In Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda we have supported inclusive processes of debate and consultation leading to new policies and laws on land and property and implementation plans. We are about to embark on a similar process in Kenya and are in the process of identifying how best to assist in South Africa. In India and Bangladesh we have sponsored the development of new alliances and partnerships to secure the tenure of vulnerable groups, the regularisation and improvement of informal low-income urban settlements, assistance to low-income households in accessing land, and the piloting of a community led finance facility for poor communities to manage upgrading, resettlement and infrastructure projects in partnership with local authorities and the banking sector. In Guyana we are about to complete a project for and the establishment of the regularisation of a new Lands and Surveys Commission and the associated regularisation of tenure rights.
	Globally, DFID supports efforts by the World Bank to establish and implement coherent and inclusive policies to secure and administer property rights in the developing world, and the Department is supporting UN-Habitat in the development of its monitoring system for MDG Target 11 'Improving the lives of 100 million slum dwellers by 2020', for which one indicator is secure tenure.
	My Department is also funding research into the promotion of intermediate forms of tenure in urban areas, effective systems for the management of common property, and the improvement of administrative procedures so as to reduce the costs of legal and appropriate shelter for the urban poor.

Property Ownership Rights

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment the Department has made of the ability of poor people in developing countries to realise the value of property which they own; and what assessment the Department has made of the impact that property ownership regulations and systems in their country have on the ability of poor people in developing countries to release the capital in their property.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: has found that in many developing countries poor people cannot realise the value of property they own. Their property rights are often informal and there are legal, administrative and financial barriers to poor people securing formal rights to land and property. However the department has also found that the promotion of property and private land titling and universal markets in land, as practised in developed countries, is not always appropriate. In many cases property ownership systems fail to recognise legitimate customary rights established over generations including those held by community groups. Standard models for titling land and property can sometimes marginalise the rights of the poor while favouring the better off.
	The links between property rights and the ability to access credit and financial services are complex and context-specific. The department has found that the ability of the poor to accumulate assets, maintain their homes and make investments may not be greatly affected by their tenure status, depending primarily on their income earning and employment opportunities. As a result, whilst there may be good justification for extending formal property rights and simplifying property systems, financial service mechanisms need to be put in place that do not depend on the availability of titled property as collateral.

Property Ownership Rights

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment the Department has made of the time it takes to establish property ownership rights in developing countries and what impact this has on economic development in these countries.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: has found that property ownership rights in developed countries have been established as a result of economic and social change over long periods. The establishment of systems to administer and regulate property rights has also been a long-term process, although in many circumstances legitimate rights may exist on the ground. In practice, formal procedures established in law for registering and transacting in property rights can be lengthy, complex, costly and inaccessible to the poor. The result is that informal rights and transactions are not recognised, reducing economic opportunities and increasing disputes.
	The department has assessed the strengths and limitations of intermediary forms of tenure and the opportunities to regulate land rights at local and community levels—both of which are procedurally and politically quicker, more practical and less costly than ambitious programmes to establish universal land titles. The department accepts that establishment of appropriate systems of property rights requires the pursuit of coherent objectives by governments over many years.

South Africa

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the humanitarian situation in South Africa.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: All agencies active in responding to the humanitarian crisis in Southern Africa recognise that the high HIV/AIDS infection rates there are both affecting the crisis and being affected by it. In countries such as Zimbabwe, where one in four adults is HIV-positive, current rates of malnutrition and mortality are closely related to the underlying AIDS pandemic. An estimated 2,500 deaths per week in Zimbabwe are due to AIDS.
	We are still learning how HIV/AIDS affects the crisis, including recovery. Evidence from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe shows that households affected by chronic illness plant fewer crops and can afford fewer inputs like fertiliser. In some cases, households are shifting production to less labour intensive but also less nutritious crops. In addition, governments' capacity to respond to the crisis is undermined by the loss of public sector workers due to AIDS and other factors.
	DFID is taking steps to integrate HIV/AIDS in its humanitarian programmes. Regionally, DFID is working to ensure that HIV prevention is integrated with food distribution, and that AIDS affected households receive food and care. We are also working closely with Governments, UN and non-governmental agencies to ensure that there is better understanding of the impact of HIV/AIDS on hunger and vulnerability. We are exploring how best to support longer-term safety nets for households affected by chronic illness. We also have a substantial programme of support for HIV/AIDS prevention and care, working with national AIDS councils and others to ensure appropriate multi-sectoral responses to the epidemic.

UN Aid Target

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development when he expects the Government to meet the UN target of 0.7 per cent. of gross national product in their contribution to overseas aid.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Government remain firmly committed to the 0.7 per cent. target. Although there is no timetable for reaching the target, the trend in the UK oda/GNI ratio has been upward since 1997, when it was 0.26 per cent. By 2006, the ratio will be 0.4 per cent., the highest since 1981. The rate of progress thereafter will depend on decisions to be taken in the next Spending Review.

US Overseas Development Assistance

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what representations he has made to the US Administration calling for them to raise overseas development assistance to 0.7 per cent.of GNI.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The US Government does not accept the 0.7 per cent. target. However, it has subscribed to the Monterrey Consensus on increasing assistance to developing countries and before Monterrey announced increases in ODA worth $5 billion over three years, followed more recently by President Bush's announcement of significant new funds for HIV/AIDS. It is the world's largest donor in terms of volume.
	The UK continues to press all donors to increase their contributions to developing countries in line with the Monterrey Consensus and has recently proposed an International Finance Facility (IFF) which would allow donors, including the US, to mobilise increased resources for international development.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Health and Safety

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the health and safety environment within which fruit and vegetable packhouse operators and growers operate; and what regulations apply to these sectors to take account of the particular needs of the casual and foreign labour they use.

Des Browne: The potential hazards at fruit and vegetable packhouses and growers typically include: transport; machinery; manual handling; noise; slips, trips and falls; and dermatitis. These hazards are common across a range of industries.
	The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires all employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all their employees. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess the risks to the health and safety of their employees, and to provide them with information on the risks and measures introduced to protect them.
	The risk assessment should identify those employees that may be particularly at risk because they do not speak, read or understand English. Employers should make special arrangements to safeguard the health and safety of these employees. This may include providing translations, using interpreters or replacing written health and safety notices with clearly understood symbols or diagrams. An increased level of supervision and monitoring of work activities may also be appropriate.

Health and Safety

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Health and Safety Executive full-time inspectors there are; and how many there were in each of the previous three years

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Mr. Norman) on 7 March 2003, Official Report, column 1269W.

Health and Safety

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what reasons underlie the policy of the Health and Safety Executive (a) to allocate further staff to accident investigations and (b) not to allocate staff to preventative work.

Des Browne: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has not adopted a policy of allocating further staff to accident investigations, at the expense of staff allocated to preventative work.
	HSE has recently reviewed the balance of resource applied to preventive inspections and investigation of incidents and complaints. HSE has decided to realign its resource to focus more on preventive work; allocating more staff time to preventive inspections, while concentrating the resource applied to investigation on the most serious incidents and complaints. This approach will enable more effective delivery of its mission to ensure that risks to people's health and safety from work related activities are properly controlled. This is in response to the fact that more cases of ill health caused by work are occurring and there has been a levelling off in the incidence of serious and fatal injuries.
	The policy of selecting a proportion of accidents and complaints for investigation, with the most serious being investigated, to ensure lessons are learnt to prevent recurrences has not changed. Accidents and complaints are selected for investigation using criteria set out in its incident selection and complaints procedures.

Health and Safety

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Health and Safety Executive's annual budget was in each year since 1997.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Foster) on 14 July, Official Report, column 75W.

Workplace Stress

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance the Government have issued to employers on combating stress in the workplace.

Des Browne: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a range of guidance on tackling work-related stress. Further guidance is due to be published over the coming year.
	"Tackling Work-Related Stress—a Manager's Guide to Improving and Maintaining Employee Health and Well-Being", was published on 25 June 2001. It sets out a risk assessment approach to tackling stress in the workplace. It clearly outlines possible hazards and risks, and offers practical advice to managers.
	"Work-Related Stress—a short guide", was published in November 2001. This guide offers similar information but is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises.HSE has developed new guidance in response to informal consultation that identified the need for further help for organisations in developing solutions to problems with stress. The new guidance, to be launched by HSE in October, is based on case studies of successful solutions employed in a range of organisations. The case studies have been derived from an extensive range of HSE-commissioned research into good practice in stress prevention. HSE plans to launch the new guidance at a conference on 30 October 2003. It will help employers work with employees to develop solutions in response to issues identified by their risk assessments.
	HSE also publishes information on stress on its website (www.hse.gov.uk/stress). This includes resources to help employers begin to tackle stress and provides access to further sources of help.

Advertising

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) TV advertising and (b) other costs are involved in the promotion of new arrangements for state pensions, benefits and tax credits to be paid directly into the bank accounts of claimants.

Chris Pond: A budget of up to £25 million is available for the Direct Payment campaign, spread over a three-year period (2002–03 to 2004–05). The campaign raises awareness of all account options for Direct Payment; including bank, building society and Post Office accounts.
	TV advertising media costs from the start of the campaign to date total £1,799,000.
	Other costs total £4,932,000. This figure breaks down as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Radio media 1,239,000 
			 National press media 1,111,000 
			 Regional press media 1,257,000 
			 Magazines 322,000 
			 Ambient media 189,000 
			 Production across all media 814,000 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures exclude VAT and apply to the campaign in England, Scotland and Wales only.

Benefit Applications

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff (a) from his Department and (b) not from his Department are available to undertake home visits to deal with (i) pension credit applications and (ii) all benefit applications.

Malcolm Wicks: Latest data show that there are 1,867 (whole time equivalent) field staff in The Pension Service local service who are available to undertake home visits. They handle applications for all benefits relating to older people, including pension credit. There are varying numbers of staff from organisations with whom we have partnering arrangements who are able to provide information about pension credit and other benefits.

Benefit Repayments

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the amount of money that is not repaid as a result of benefits sent to people who have subsequently died; and what steps he is taking to reform the system.

Chris Pond: holding answer 15 September 2003
	As part of our modernisation programme, measures are underway to provide greater focus and specialisation in benefit debt management through the establishment of dedicated benefit debt centres. We are already seeing improvements in increased debt recovery and reduction in outstanding debt.
	At 31 March 2003, the total outstanding overpaid benefit paid for a period following the death of a benefit recipient was estimated to be £7.73 million. We normally seek to recover this type of overpayment, but where recovery is not possible, the overpayment is written off.
	Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions Debt Management System

Benefits Agency

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will establish individual e-mail addresses for each benefit office so that MI12 forms can be e-mailed to the Benefits Agency.

Chris Pond: All benefit offices do have e-mail addresses. However, due to the insecure nature of normal e-mail and the need to guarantee the security of personal data we cannot use this method to exchange information relating to individual benefit claims.

Business Insurance

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the follow up report on Business Insurance.

Des Browne: In the Autumn.
	The First Stage Report on Employers' Liability insurance was published by the Department in June. Action in relation to Employers' Liability includes both immediate initiatives and longer-term policy choices. In the timing of our further report, we have to strike a balance between a desire to report immediate action quickly and allowing time to reflect longer-term developments.

Business Insurance

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will work more closely with trade bodies representing the insurance and construction trades on issues relating to insurance.

Des Browne: As part of our work on Employers Liability insurance, Ministers and officials have met a range of insurance and construction industry interests. These have included: the Association of British Insurers, individual insurance companies, the British Insurance Brokers Association, the Federation of Master Builders, the Construction Confederation, the Federation of Small Builders, Scottish Building, and the National Federation of Roofing Contractors. Further meetings are planned.

Business Insurance

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action his Department plans to take as a result of his assessment of the effect on small and medium-sized enterprises of large increases in insurance premiums.

Des Browne: The First Stage Report into Employers' Liability Insurance published by my Department in June identified a number of areas for further consideration and action. These included: renewals and risk-related premiums; long-tail occupational disease; the cost of resolving claims; rehabilitation; and enforcement. Both the Government and stakeholders have continued to work on these issues and the Government will report in the autumn on the progress that is being made and any further steps we intend to take. We continue to work closely with the Small Business Service and representatives of small and medium-sized businesses on these issues.

Business Insurance

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward the planned publication date of the Department's report on business insurance by the construction industry.

Des Browne: Davis Langdon Consultancy undertook a scoping study for the Construction Sector Unit of the Department for Trade and Industry looking at the difficulties construction contractors face in obtaining insurance. This report was published in January 2003.
	The aim of the study was to provide DTI with a clear understanding of the nature and extent of the difficulties facing contractors in obtaining and maintaining adequate insurance. The report aimed to provide perspective on construction specific aspects of the issue and to add value to the work of other studies in this area such as the DWP Employers' liability review.
	We are not currently undertaking any further construction specific reports. However, the Government will be reporting in the autumn on the progress that has been made more generally on Employers Liability insurance (in which there is a keen construction sector interest) and on the further steps it intends to take.

Business Insurance

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of long-tail insurance on the levels of employers' liability compulsory insurance.

Des Browne: The issue of 'long-tail' risks was considered as part of the First Stage Report into Employers' Liability insurance published by the Department in June. The report found that concerns about long-tail risks were clearly keenly felt by insurers and might have an impact on decisions about capital provision but it was not able to translate these concerns into quantifiable impacts on pricing. Recent price increases appear to relate most closely to accident risk.
	We understand that the Association of British Insurers has separately commissioned work that will attempt to quantify the impacts of long-tail risks on the market. They expect to complete this study later this year. The Government will consider this with interest.

Claimant Data Files

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many departmental files holding data on claimants went missing (a) temporarily and (b) permanently from filestores managed (i) by his Department and (ii) by private sector contractors in each year since 1995.

Des Browne: The Department do not hold the information in the manner requested.
	The available data relating to files lost or temporarily missing in the Department for Work and Pensions cannot be used to establish a national picture of the numbers lost or missing in the Department's file-stores.
	There is no consistent counting of files lost in file-stores. Some stores, including the central store at Heywood managed by Iron Mountain, keep records of the numbers of files that cannot be traced. In these cases there is no way of distinguishing files actually missing in store, from those that could not be traced because they were never held in the store, or are in transit, or are held elsewhere in the organisation.

Contracted-out Rebates

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 531W, to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts), on contracted-out rebates, to what causes he ascribes the assumed reduction in the number of people receiving contracted-out rebates from 2001–02 to 2051–52.

Chris Pond: The projection reflects two main assumptions:
	1. A reduction in the membership of contracted-out personal pension schemes, as a result of the introduction of age-related rebates in April 1997; and
	2. Changing membership of contracted-out occupational persion schemes, reflecting among other things, changing patterns of pension provision.
	As the Green Paper and earlier answers made clear these are only illustrative assumptions made for the purpose of long-term financial projections and not firm predictions of future experience. The appropriateness of the assumptions will be reviewed as increased data on the number of individuals contracted-out become available.
	Source:
	Government Actuary's Department

Death Registration

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the (a) operation of and (b) level of compliance with the White Form arrangements linked to the registration of death.

Malcolm Wicks: The Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages completes a "White Form" (form BD8 the free death certificate) which is handed to the person registering the death.
	If the BD8 is forwarded to the Department, and payment is still being made, arrangements will be made to cancel payment. The Registrar also notifies the Department automatically.
	There are no statistics available to show level of compliance.

Deprived Areas

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the support his Department gives to (a) areas suffering from high levels of unemployment and (b) areas suffering from low average wages.

Des Browne: The level of employment has reached record levels, up by over 1.5 million since 1997. The underlying trend remains upwards and recent unemployment figures are the best since the 1970s. The improvement in the labour market has been spread right across the country, and since 1997, unemployment rates have fallen fastest in the areas with the highest unemployment.
	Jobcentre Plus provides everyone of working age with advice and guidance on the full range of support available to help them move into work, including programmes such as our New Deals. In areas of the country with higher levels of worklessness and concentrations of people who are disadvantaged in the labour market, we have introduced specialist programmes such as Action Teams for Jobs and Employment Zones. By the end of July 2003, they had been successful in helping more than 116,000 people into work. The Government have also introduced measures to help make work pay such as the national minimum wage and tax credits.
	From April 2004, we are also introducing a programme of intensive support in neighbourhoods with very high concentrations of worklessness. Local worklessness pilots will operate in 12 of the most deprived neighbourhoods and will run for two years. The pilots will test a new approach to offering intensive support to local residents to help them overcome barriers to employment.

Disability Living Allowance

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many fraudulent cases have been discovered by the Disability Living Allowance Periodic Enquiry process since June 1999; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: Periodic Enquiry was not designed as a fraud prevention measure. The information requested is not available.

Disability Living Allowance

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he intends to extend the threshold for disability living allowance to people of pensionable age and over.

Maria Eagle: There are no plans to change the rules governing the upper age limit for claims to disability living allowance.

Employer Documentation

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the documentation issued by his Department that an employer must complete when he or she takes on his or her first employee, in order to be fully compliant; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary for Employment Relations, Competition and Consumers on 11 September 2003, Official Report, column 388W.

Employers' Liability Insurance

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department has collated on the number of small and middle-sized enterprises which have stopped trading in the past 12 months as a result of increases in employers' compulsory liability insurance premiums.

Des Browne: While we have received representations about businesses being forced to close as a direct result of increases in their employers' liability insurance premiums, conclusive or comprehensive evidence has proved very difficult to obtain. A particular obstacle is the difficulty of disaggregating premium increases as a cause from other factors. For vulnerable companies with low profit margins or debt problems, premium costs might well have been another contributory factor to business failure, but no definitive figures exist.

Forestry

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received from representatives of (a) the Forestry Commission and (b) private operators in the forestry industry about the level of employers' compulsory liability insurance premiums.

Des Browne: holding answer 17 September 2003
	The Department has received representations about the level of employers' liability compulsory insurance premiums from:
	the Aboricultural Association;
	the United Kingdom Forest Products Association; and
	a private operator in the forestry industry.
	We have discussed the representations with officials in the Forestry Commission.
	The representations will inform the second stage of the review of employers' liability compulsory insurance, which is due to report in autumn.

Holidays (Benefit Recipients)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to make it easier for those drawing benefit to take a holiday; and what research his Department has undertaken into the number of families that do not take holidays because of poverty.

Chris Pond: We have taken action to raise the incomes of families, especially for those on the lowest incomes. To help children out of poverty, we have provided more support than ever before to enable parents to work, and to ensure that they are better off in work. As a result of our personal tax and benefit reforms since 1997, from April 2003, families with children are, on average, £1,200 a year better off, while those in the poorest fifth of the population are, on average, £2,500 a year better off in real terms.
	There are different rules and regulations for each of the various benefits, for example, relating to the length of the holiday and whether the holiday is taken within the UK or abroad. Some information is provided in leaflet GL29 "Going abroad and social security benefits", a copy of which is available in the Library.
	The Family and Children Study provides research into this specific area. Further details can be found in Vegeris S. & Perry J., Family and Children 2001: Living Standards and the Children, DWP Research Report 190, available in the House of Commons Library. In addition, my Department recently published Farrell C. & O'Connor W., 2003, Low Income families and household spending, DWP Research Report 192, also available in the House of Commons Library, that includes some analysis of the affordability of holidays for people in receipt of benefit.

Income Support

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints the Benefits Agency has received about the application process for income support benefits available for home improvement.

Chris Pond: Representations are dealt with by Jobcentre Plus and The Pensions Service on an individual basis with regard to the circumstance of each case. It is not possible to identify how many are specifically about the application process for income support benefits for home improvement.

Income Support

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to improve the response time to applications for income support contributions for home improvements.
	(2)  what targets have been set for the processing of MI12 forms in the Benefits Agency; and what penalties there are if the Agency does not meet these.

Chris Pond: We have not set specific, separate targets for the clearance of MI12 forms. As form MI12 is actioned after the initial claim to benefit has been processed it is treated as a change of circumstance. As part of the Key Management Indicators for Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support clearance targets for changes of circumstances are currently set at four days.

Iron Mountain

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria led him to award a contract for the management and storage of departmental records to Iron Mountain; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Department for Work and Pensions has not awarded a contract for the management and storage of departmental records to Iron Mountain. DWP has a contract with Hays IMS for the storage and retrieval of some departmental records. Iron Mountain acquired Hays IMS in August 2003 and the DWP contract with Hays IMS is being novated to Iron Mountain accordingly.

Learning Disability

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many adults with a learning disability were (a) in paid employment in England and (b) known to social services in England in each year since 1997; what percentage of adults with a learning disability known to social services were in paid employment; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The available information is in the tables.
	The Department of Health collects limited information from individual councils with Social Services Responsibilities (CSSR) on the number of their clients with learning disabilities who are in paid employment. This is based on those known to the CSSR as part of a care package following a community care assessment. It is not possible to use this data to produce a robust estimate for the whole of England of the percentage of adults with a learning disability known to social services who were in paid employment.
	
		Number of adults in England with a learning disability who are in employment
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1998 30,000 
			 1999 40,000 
			 2000 40,000 
			 2001 30,000 
			 2002 50,000 
			 2003 60,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000 and are subject to sampling error.
	2. "People with a learning disability" are all persons in employment and all other men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59 who said that health or disability problems limit the kind of paid work they can do whose main health problem was a severe or specific learning problem.
	3. Paid Employment includes employees and self-employed who were paid for at least one hours work in the survey reference week for people of working age (16-years-old to state pension age). It does not include those on Government employment and training programmes as not all people on these schemes are paid.
	Source:
	Labour Force Survey, Spring Datasets.
	
		Estimated number of clients with learning disabilities receiving services following assessment
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 All ages 110,000 115,000 
			 18–64 101,000 101,000 
			 65+ 8,000 14,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The data are England estimates grossed up to the nearest thousand to allow for missing data and refer to the reporting year 1 April to 31 March.
	2. Adults in this context are people aged 18 and over.
	3. The "All ages" totals for 2000–2001 include the number of clients whose age was not known.
	4. Figures may not add up because of rounding.
	Source:
	Department of Health, Referrals, Assessments and Packages of Care (RAP) returns for 2000–01 and 2001–02.

Low Incomes

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will introduce a system of short-term loans for those on low incomes when they change jobs;
	(2)  what research his Department has conducted on the disincentives caused to those on low incomes when they change jobs;
	(3)  pursuant to his answer of 15 July 2003, Official Report, column 245W, on employment assistance, whether similar incentives are available for those in low paying jobs seeking a move to a similar position.

Des Browne: This Department has not conducted research into disincentives caused to low income households when people change jobs. We are, however, committed to making work pay for all those who are able to work, and to supporting households, including low-income households, in sustaining employment.
	Most people moving from one job to another will be able to manage until they receive payment from their new job, as wages are paid in arrears. For those in receipt of Working Tax Credit, continuity of payment will be maintained when people move from one job to another, as long as the gap between jobs is no more than seven days. The new Working Tax Credit has been extended to people aged 25 and over without children. If people receive the Child Tax Credit, this continues to be paid direct to the main carer throughout any changes in employment. People in low paid employment may also be entitled to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
	People who are unable to manage whilst waiting for payment of wages, leading to a serious risk to their or their family's health or safety, may be able to get an interest free Crisis Loan. Repayment of a Crisis Loan does not start until the period of crisis is over and the rate of repayment takes account of a person's income and other commitments to avoid hardship.

New Deal

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the New Deal for Young People has cost in each year, broken down into expenditure on (a) subsidies to employers, (b) payments to external providers, (c) payments to participants (d) employment service costs and (e) other economic categories.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of New Deal expenditure was spent on (a) subsidies to employers, (b) payments to external providers, (c) payments to participants, (d) Jobcentre Plus costs and (e) other costs, broken down by programme, in each year since the programme began; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The information is in the tables.
	
		New Deal for Young People -- Spend (£ million)
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Subsidies to employers — 19 27 16 14 14 
			 Payments to external providers (6)12 98 174 214 159 166 
			 Payments to participants — 45 81 63 46 69 
			 Departmental administrative costs 31 98 88 119 89 90 
		
	
	
		New Deal 25 Plus -- Spend (£ million)
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Subsidies to employers 0 5 42 14 12 13 
			 Payments to external providers 0 12 28 24 99 123 
			 Payments to participants 0 0 2 5 28 45 
			 Departmental administrative costs 0 17 26 18 73 73 
		
	
	
		New Deal 50 Plus -- Spend (£ million)
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Subsidies to employers 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Payments to external providers 0 0 0 2 2 2 
			 Payments to participants 0 0 1 43 80 99 
			 Departmental administrative costs 0 0 2 11 5 5 
		
	
	
		New Deal for Lone Parents -- Spend (£ million)
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Subsidies to employers 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Payments to external providers 0 0 2 3 1 4 
			 Payments to participants 0 1 9 12 8 15 
			 Departmental administrative costs 0 17 27 29 37 61 
		
	
	
		New Deal for Disabled People -- Spend (£ million)
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Subsidies to employers 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Payments to external providers 0 0 15 6 1 14 
			 Payments to participants 0 0 0 0 3 0 
			 Departmental administrative costs 0 1 7 7 6 12 
		
	
	
		New Deal for Partners -- Spend (£ million)
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Subsidies to employers 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Payments to external providers 0 0 0 1 1 0 
			 Payments to participants 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Departmental administrative costs 0 1 5 10 6 6 
		
	
	(6) Information is not available on the breakdown of spend across these categories.
	Notes:
	1. Due to rounding differences, and changes in allocation, figures provided may not sum to previous figures given.
	2. No money was allocated to other economic categories.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus.

Operation Gangmaster

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs have been incurred since the inception of (a) Operation Gangmaster and (b) the Gangmaster Working Group; what funds remain unallocated in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: It is not possible to identify separately how much is spent on Operation Gangmaster activity.

Operation Gangmaster

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been undertaken of Operation Gangmaster; and what plans there are to make an assessment.

Chris Pond: A hearing on gangmasters by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee took place before the summer recess. The report was published on 18 September 2003. Operation Gangmaster will be reviewed in the light of the Committee's recommendations.

Operation Gangmaster

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 554W, on Operation Gangmaster, if he will list the members of the west Midlands forum under the Operation Gangmaster initiative.

Chris Pond: When Operation Gangmaster began in 1998, forums were set up at Walsall and Cambridge to cover the west and east Midlands respectively. In September 2002 these forums were amalgamated into one forum, which sits at Peterborough.
	The organisations represented at the forum are listed.
	Department for Work and Pensions (Chair and Secretariat)
	Inland Revenue
	United Kingdom Immigration Service
	National Asylum Support Service
	H.M Customs and Excise
	Uniform and plain clothes police officers
	Department for Environment, Rural Affairs and Agriculture
	Department for Trade and Industry
	Health and Safety Executive

Pension Forecasts

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many retirement pension forecasts have been distributed to the self-employed, and at what cost; and what is the average entitlement that is forecast.

Malcolm Wicks: The total number of state pension forecasts issued to the self-employed to date (5 September 2003) is 397, 409.
	The cost of the exercise to date is £2.72 million; this includes both staff and non-staff costs.
	The figures for the average cash amount for each component that makes up the forecast for the self-employed are as follows:
	
		
			  £ Information 
		
		
			 Average amount of Basic Pension 73.61 Forecasted Basic Pension at State Pension Age 
			 Average amount of payable Additional Pension 6.49 This figure is based on contributions paid and is the actual amount to be paid, this is unlikely to change unless the self-employed recipient reverts to employed status. 
			 Average amount of Graduated Retirement Benefit 1.20 — 
			 Average amount per forecast letter 81.29 (7)— 
		
	
	(7) The discrepancy of 1p is due to rounding.

Parliamentary Questions

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many questions directed to him remain unanswered.

Maria Eagle: As at the rising of the House for the conference recess, 24 questions for answer today or earlier have not yet been answered.

Pension Investment

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the propensity for those aged 25 to 34 to view property rather than other savings products as a vehicle for pension investments;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects of increased use of equity release as a savings vehicle for retirement.

Malcolm Wicks: Individuals of all ages have different preferences and it is right that people are free to choose to save for retirement in a variety of different ways. However, the Government believes that the best way to provide a secure income in retirement—in excess of that provided by the state—is through saving in a private pension during an individual's working life. In general, buying a house and putting money into a pension should not be seen as substitutes for each other. By saving in a pension individuals benefit from risk pooling and diversification, favourable tax treatment and over the longer term can expect strong returns to private pension investment. Furthermore, at the point of retirement, housing wealth is generally much more illiquid than any accrued private pension benefits and the market for equity release products is relatively small and trading down incurs high transaction costs.
	People will want to take account of the relative risks of investing in different savings vehicles, particularly if these savings are for the long term. Above all, the Government are committed to seeking to provide individuals with information so that they can make informed choices about how and when to save to achieve the level of income in retirement that they expect.

Pensioner Benefits

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Monmouthshire benefited from (a) the winter fuel allowance, (b) the £100 allowance for the over 80s and (c) free TV licences in the last year for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of people in Monmouthshire who received a winter fuel payment for winter 2002–03 was 19,625. Of that figure 3,970 were over age 80 and would be entitled to an additional amount of winter fuel payment from the winter of 2003–04. The extra amount will depend on the composition of the household, but generally most households will receive an extra £100.
	The information in respect of people in receipt of free TV licence in Monmouthshire is not available. However, the number of people in Monmouthshire aged 75 or over receiving a social security benefit as at 30 November 2002 was 7,700. These people would be eligible to receive a free TV licence.
	Notes
	1. Figures taken from the Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service winter fuels payment 2002–03 exercise and the Pensions Strategy Computer System: 30 September 2002.
	2. 100 sample figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	3. Figures based on 5 per cent. data taken from the Client Group Analysis of the population over state pension age as at 30 November 2002, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. These figures are expressed in thousands and rounded to the nearest hundred
	4. Social security benefits are attendance allowance, disability living allowance, severe disablement allowance, incapacity benefit, minimum income guarantee and state pension.
	5. As only one TV licence is required per household, the number of free TV licences issued may be lower than the number of people entitled to one. Some households may contain more than one person aged 75 and over and not all households with a person aged 75 and over will have a television.
	Source
	IAD Information Centre 100 per cent. sample and 5 per cent. sample.

Pensions

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the benefits to consumer financial education of including figures showing average healthy life expectancy in government pension statements.

Malcolm Wicks: Previous customer research conducted on the information contained in state pension forecasts has not highlighted the need to include information on average healthy life expectancy.
	The inclusion of such information will be assessed in future customer research conducted into pensions education material.

Pensions

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many retirement pensions in payment continue after the death of the beneficiary; what the cost to public funds was in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of these payments was recovered.

Malcolm Wicks: In 2002–03, 48,946 cases were identified with a value of £9.848 million for State Pension paid after death. £1.606 million of this was recovered. The balance is in the process of recovery. In addition, a further £5.928 million was recovered in 2002–03 against debts identified in previous years.
	Source:
	Central Debt Management System

Sign Language

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 527W 
	(1)  what progress the British Sign Language working group has made towards distributing the money his Department has allocated to the recognition of British Sign Language; and if he will make a statement on how this programme of initiatives will increase access to services and the number of BSL interpreters;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on his Department's continued support for the implementation of the recognition of British Sign Language further to the money allocated on 18 March.

Maria Eagle: The British Sign Language working group, which is an advisory group, has met twice to consider priorities for allocating the additional £1 million we have made available, and to consider draft specifications for initiatives which would best support the 18 March statement. We have received the working group's recommendations which involve action to promote access for BSL users through awareness raising, and action which will contribute to establishing a framework to support BSL tutors. Over time this will result in an increase in the number of BSL interpreters. Officials will shortly start a formal tendering exercise.
	The working group will also be doing some longer-term strategic thinking and we will receive their advice in due course on policies and initiatives which would, over time, further increase access for deaf people who use BSL.

Social Security Funding

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much social security funding was distributed to (a) local authority welfare rights units, (b) Citizens Advice Bureaux and (c) other voluntary or private agencies in each local authority in England in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: Direct funding of outside bodies by the Department for Work and Pensions is confined to a small number of grants, the details of which can be obtained from the Department's annual Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library. The grants enable the voluntary sector to work with the Department in: helping people with disabilities to live more independently in the community; providing mobility related assistance; and free help and advice to members of the public regarding their company, stakeholder or personal pension scheme.
	However, the voluntary sector is a key partner of the Department's and a number of organisations receive funding under contract to the Department for the delivery of specific services. For example, assisting in the Department's efforts to help people back into work, particularly those facing the greatest disadvantages, by delivery of a range of employment and training programmes, including elements of the New Deal.

Unclaimed Benefits

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate the Department has made of the amount of unclaimed benefits, broken down by type of benefit, in each of the last 10 years.

Chris Pond: Estimates of the amount of additional income-related benefits payable if everyone entitled took-up their entitlement for the full period, broken down by benefit, can be found in the statistical report "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up", which is published annually by the Department. Copies of the publications are available in the Library.

Winter Heating Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the total value of the winter heating allowance for each year from 1998–99 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The information in respect of winter fuel payments, which were introduced in 1997, is in the table.
	
		£ million
		
			  Winter fuel payments 
		
		
			 Expenditure  
			 1997–98 191 
			 1998–99 194 
			 1999–2000 759 
			 2000–01 1,749 
			 2001–02 1,692 
			   
			 Estimated expenditure  
			 2002–03 1,712 
			   
			 Forecast expenditure  
			 2003–04 1,891 
			 2004–05 1,911 
			 2005–06 1,933

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abattoirs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to publish the action plan to support small and medium-sized abattoirs and slaughterhouses.

Ben Bradshaw: The steps we are taking to help ensure there is a network of abattoirs and meat cutting plants complement our wider "Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food" which was published on 12 December 2002. Currently, in co-operation with the Meat and Livestock Commission and the Meat Hygiene Service, we are compiling data on the slaughtering and meat supply industry to help us develop a strategic approach. Compilation and analysis is expected to be complete by mid October and data suitable for the public domain will be published thereafter.

Bluetongue Disease

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk of an outbreak of bluetongue disease in the United Kingdom; and what discussions she has had with her colleagues in the Northern Ireland Office to prevent the spread of this disease to Northern Ireland.

Ben Bradshaw: My officials have consulted experts at the Institute of Animal Health on the risk of an outbreak of Bluetongue in the UK. The Institute of Animal Health is both the National and European Union reference laboratory for the disease. At present the risk is considered to be very low.
	Bluetongue is active in countries around the Meditterranean basin. It is transmitted by midges of Culicoides species. However, the disease has recently spread a little further north and the possible causes of this move are being investigated. The main vector of disease (Culicoides imicola) has not been found in the UK.
	A Bluetongue Control Strategy for the United Kingdom is already in place and is available on the Defra website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/bluetongue control strategy. PDF Defra staff have worked closely with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland (DARDNI) on the preparation of contingency plans as required under Directive 2000/75/EC. These Contingency Plans can be obtained from:
	Defra—
	via the Defra website—
	http.V/www.defra.gov.uk/animaih/diseases/notifiable/disease/bluecontin.PDF and a copyhas been placed in the main Defra library.
	DARDNI—
	from the Animal Disease Control Branch, Dundonald House, Belfast.

Common Agricultural Policy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in reforming the Common Agricultural Policy during the last six months.

Ben Bradshaw: On 26 June EU Agriculture Ministers agreed an historic reform of the Common Agricultural Policy which will provide a more sustainable basis for European agriculture, as well as reducing some of the damaging impacts of the CAP on developing countries.
	The agreement breaks the link between farm subsidies and production in order to reconnect farmers to their markets, reduce damaging environmental impacts and reduce bureaucracy, this is at the heart of our approach to sustainable food and farming. Subsidies will also be dependent on farmers meeting standards in areas like environmental protection, and animal health and welfare. For the first time there will be an EU wide switch of money from production subsidies to environmental and rural development objectives, and there is a new financial discipline which will trigger action to reduce subsidies if CAP expenditure is in danger of exceeding the agreed budget ceilings.

Common Agricultural Policy

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the latest estimate is of the cost to the average family of the Common Agricultural Policy through higher consumer prices and levels of taxation.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 11 September 2003
	The consumer cost of the CAP can be estimated by examining the difference between UK and world prices for agricultural food products. The notional taxpayer contribution to CAP expenditure can also be estimated though, in practice, UK taxpayers contribute to the whole EU budget rather than to specific components. Our latest provisional estimates for 2002 show a cost of the CAP to a notional family of four from higher consumer prices and levels of taxation of approximately £8 to £9 a week.

Common Agricultural Policy

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many claimants received a direct grant or subsidy under the Common Agricultural Policy in the latest year for which information is available; and of the payments made, how many were (a) under £1,000, (b) between £1,000 and £2,500, (c) between £2,500 and £5,000, (d) between £5,000 and £10,000, (e) between £10,000 and £100,000, (f) between £100,000 and £500,000, (g) between £500,000 and £1 million and (h) in excess of £1 million.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 11 September 2003
	The number of claimants who received direct grants or subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy in England was 93,542 in the 12 month period to 31 August 2003. This is broken down into the requested payment bands in the following table. We are unable to identify the total payments received by any individual or business making applications using more than one name. The payment of direct grants and subsidies in that period in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was the responsibility of the devolved authorities in Scotland and Wales and the Northern Ireland Administration.
	
		Direct subsidy payments in the 12 month period to 31 August 2003
		
			 Band Total value of payments in period Number of claimants 
		
		
			 (a) Under £1,000 22,740 
			 (b) Between £1,000 and £2,500 12,578 
			 (c) Between £2,500 and £5,000 11,226 
			 (d) Between £5,000 and £10,000 12,048 
			 (e) Between £10,000 and £100,000 32,884 
			 (f) Between £100,000 and £500,000 2,027 
			 (g) Between £500,000 and £1,000,000 28 
			 (h) In excess of £1,000,000 11 
			  Total number of claimants 93,542

Commercial Whaling

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives of the Icelandic Government to try to prevent them from resuming commercial whaling.

Ben Bradshaw: When Iceland rejoined the IWC in October 2002, its application for renewed membership contained a declaration in which Iceland undertook (under certain conditions) not to resume commercial whaling until 2006 at the earliest.
	When the Icelandic Ambassador to London called on me on 3 September, I stressed that the Government (and the UK public) was highly critical of Iceland's unjustified and unnecessary plan to kill 38 minke whales this year, (and possibly larger numbers of minke, sei and fin whales next year).
	On 10 September the British Ambassador to Reykjavik delivered a demarche on behalf of the Governments of the UK and 22 other countries, urging the Icelandic Government to rescind its decision to start so-called "scientific" whaling.

Construction Industry (Magnesium Carbonate)

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the letter from the former Minister of State for Environment of 16 September 2002 (171977/JW), what action has been taken since April 2003 on the use of magnesium carbonate in the construction industry.

Elliot Morley: BRE (formerly known as the Building Research Establishment) submitted a successful bid in the 2002 DTI Partners in Innovation competition round to carry out an independent assessment of the potential benefits, including those of carbon sequestration and low embodied energy, reported for novel cements such as magnesium carbonate. The research work is due to commence shortly with a completion date of March 2006. The outcome will be a report assessing the technical and environmental performance of novel cements, their cost competitiveness compared to conventional cements, and, if appropriate, their potential use in the UK construction industry.

EU Enlargement

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of enlargement of the European Union and the rights of nationals of the applicant countries to work in other member states on English farming and horticulture.

Ben Bradshaw: After accession on 1 May 2004 nationals from the new member states and members of their families will have the right to work in the United Kingdom on the same basis as those from existing member states. While this will significantly increase the potential pool of workers able to work in English farming and horticulture, a number of independent studies looking at the scale of migration flows into the EU after enlargement suggest that there are likely to be only relatively small inflows into the UK. Predictions of migration flows are difficult to make, even at national level, so the impact on a particular sector such as farming and horticulture is even more uncertain.

Farm Incomes

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average income of individual farms and farm businesses was for those in the top and the bottom deciles in the past 12 months; and what the average percentage of total income subsidies represented in both groups.

Ben Bradshaw: The average net farm income, output and subsidies received by farms in the top and bottom deciles in England in 2001–02 is given in the table:
	
		£ per farm
		
			  Bottom decile Topdecile 
		
		
			 Net farm income -37,600 98,500 
			 Total farm output 212,800 476,500 
			 Total subsidies 37,300 42,500 
			 Subsidies as a percentage of output 18 9 
		
	
	Note:
	These data refer to farms not subject to compulsory cull of livestock during the Foot and Mouth Disease crisis in 2001.
	Source:
	Farm Business Survey.
	The table provides data only for farms with an economic size of at least eight European Size Units (ESUs), the minimum considered necessary to occupy a full time farmer. Although nearly half the farms in England fall below this size threshold, they account for only 2 per cent. of agricultural output.
	Net farm income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their labour and on the tenant-type capital of the business.

Farming Industry

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect on the various sectors of the UK farming industry of (i) the legislative burden and (ii) the exchange rate of continental European competitors; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: No specific research has been commissioned or evaluated by the Department which compares the total level of legislative burden on the farming industry in the UK with the rest of the European Union. However, as set out in the "Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food" the Government are committed to better regulation. This means legislating only where necessary, doing so in a light touch way and deregulating and simplifying existing legislation wherever possible. While some regulation is unavoidable if the Government are to safeguard public and animal health, environmental matters or public funds, modern regulations must not only be effective and efficient, but must also deliver improvements in ways which minimise the burden of compliance on the industry.
	The euro-sterling exchange rate is an important determiner of UK farm incomes. A provisional assessment of the impact of the recent recovery in the euro and medium term prospects for UK farm incomes if this is sustained is published on the Defra website (http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/reports/repfi.pdf).

Fisheries

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in dealing with diseases among fish living in restricted cage accommodation.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 10 September 2003
	Most farming of fin fish in cages takes place in the Scottish marine environment. The health status of farmed fish in the UK including those held in caged systems is closely monitored by the Fish Health Inspectorates reporting to the different administrations in the UK to ensure full compliance with the EU fish health regime as laid down in Council Directives 91/67/EEC and 93/53/EEC and implementing national legislation, The UK has a high fish health status and is currently free from the most serious fish diseases, Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA), Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (VMS) and Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis (IHN), Stringent control programmes operate to maintain freedom from these diseases and to control other serious diseases which may be present in some farmed fish populations such as Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN) and Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD).
	In March this year the Scottish Executive published "A Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture" which outlines a range of issues which are being addressed to help protect the health and welfare of fish farmed in caged and other systems including better management techniques to help reduce the incidence of sea lice infestation.

Fisheries

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will grant a full aid package for the South West Fishing Fleet and a decommissioning programme following the proposal by the European Commission for a recovery programme for the northern hake stock including associated stocks of megrim and anglerfish; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Grant aid for the fishing industry in south-west England is available under the EU FIFG structural fund programme. The current decommissioning scheme for fishing vessels in England is targeted to the sectors of the fleet which are subject to limits on their time at sea under the interim EU requirements for effort control to conserve cod.
	The Government will consider whether there is a need for additional funds to be made available to the south-west fleet in the light of the outcome of EU negotiations on the Commission's proposal for a recovery plan for Northern hake.

Food Consumption

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the percentage of food consumed in the United Kingdom that was sourced in the United Kingdom in the last five years, broken down by sector.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows the level of UK self-sufficiency in specified commodities for each of the last five years (1998–2002).
	
		Production as percentage of total new supply for use in UK
		
			 Commodity 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Total Cereals 115 109 113 97 99 
			 Oilseed rape 97 97 83 66 86 
			 Sugar 72 71 71 67 63 
			 Potatoes 88 90 89 84 87 
			 Vegetables 71 72 71 66 66 
			 Fruit 9 12 10 10 9 
			 Beef and veal (home fed) 83 80 79 72 72 
			 Mutton and lamb (home fed) 101 104 100 78 84 
			 Pork (Home fed) 112 100 92 73 76 
			 Poultrymeat 93 90 89 91 91 
			 Processed Liquid Milk(8) 99 100 100 100 100 
			 Butter 78 71 64 63 69 
			 Cheese 64 63 63 66 68 
			 Cream 151 146 137 134 148 
			 Hen eggs 97 93 91 88 87 
		
	
	(8) Processed liquid milk is the product following separation and treatment suitable for the drinking milk market.
	Note:
	2002 data are provisional and subject to amendment.
	Source:
	Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2002—Data prepared by Statistics (Commodities and Food) Accounts and Trade, ESD, DEFRA.

Illegal Meat Imports

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's progress in preventing illegal meat from entering the United Kingdom.

Ben Bradshaw: Progress against the Government's Action Plan on illegal imports in the financial year 2002–03 is reported in the Annual Review of Controls on Imports of Animal Products. Copies have been placed in the House Libraries.
	The 2003–04 Action Plan is appended to the Review, and we are working with HM Customs and other responsible parties to implement it. Progress will be reported in the next Annual Review to be published after the end of this financial year.

Illegal Meat Imports

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many spot checks have been carried out on illegal meat imports at each designated port of entry into the UK since December 2002.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 8 September 2003, Official Report, column 99W. Customs carry out their anti-smuggling controls on the basis of risk assessment and intelligence.

Lantra

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list research projects that Lantra has undertaken over the last two years.

Alun Michael: I understand that Lantra carries out projects on behalf of a range of clients, and so comprehensive information is not available within the Department. As an example of work commissioned by my Department, Lantra recently completed a study of the training and development needs of rural businesses to inform Defra's Learning Skills and Knowledge Review.

Milk

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much milk was produced surplus to requirements by UK farmers; and how much milk was imported in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: It is difficult to determine how much milk is produced that is "surplus to requirements". This will depend on whether one considers the requirements of UK processors and food manufacturers, both for products intended for domestic consumption or export, or the requirements of UK consumers. Nevertheless, I hope the data tabulated as follows on UK imports, exports, production, domestic use and self-sufficiency for the major milk products since 1991 gives an indication of the position.
	
		
			  1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 
		
		
			 UK imports(9)  
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 186 114 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 37 67 54 68 89 65 
			 Butter 103 129 110 121 114 114 
			 Cheese 192 232 189 212 210 239 
			 Cream 3 3 2 3 4 6 
			 Condensed milk 10 13 10 13 12 10 
			 Milk powder (full cream) 3 5 6 7 8 10 
			 Skimmed milk powder 8 26 13 12 14 13 
			 UK exports(9)   
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 72 70 92 133 191 178 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 3 3 3 4 5 5 
			 Butter 39 51 52 53 53 51 
			 Cheese 51 48 57 59 55 59 
			 Cream 38 41 69 84 79 96 
			 Condensed milk 47 57 50 52 65 58 
			 Milk powder (full cream) 67 84 57 65 77 75 
			 Skimmed milk powder 71 45 55 61 56 20 
			
			 UK production(9)  
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 14,778 14,679 14,742 14,981 14,683 14,680 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 6,903 6,980 7,008 6,966 7,128 7,041 
			 Butter 132 127 141 148 133 130 
			 Cheese 309 332 338 341 362 377 
			 Cream 254 240 255 274 281 281 
			 Condensed milk 198 206 191 196 181 206 
			 Milk powder (full cream) 79 84 71 83 90 83 
			 Skimmed milk powder 143 106 132 142 117 108 
			
			  UK domestic use (disappearances)(9)  
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 14,706 14,610 14,650 14,848 14,678 14,616 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 6,937 7,044 7,059 7,030 7,212 7,101 
			 Butter 206 207 228 231 201 189 
			 Cheese 458 512 466 500 522 557 
			 Cream 220 202 187 194 207 191 
			 Condensed milk 164 160 151 155 130 160 
			 Milk powder (full cream) 14 7 19 26 20 19 
			 Skimmed milk powder 86 91 88 89 82 75 
			
			 UK self sufficiency(12)  
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 100 100 101 101 100 100 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 100 99 99 99 99 99 
			 Butter 67 62 71 69 69 68 
			 Cheese 69 64 72 69 70 68 
			 Cream 116 119 136 142 136 148 
			 Condensed milk 123 128 127 125 141 130 
			 Milk powder (full cream)(13)   
			 Skimmed milk powder(14) 179 121 148 152 157 107 
		
	
	
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 (provisional) 
		
		
			 UK imports(9)  
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 132 133 115 108 65 74 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 63 57 38 36 31 26 
			 Butter 111 105 114 118 115 101 
			 Cheese 240 257 277 255 273 267 
			 Cream 11 11 8 10 18 12 
			 Condensed milk 13 13 14 14 14 11 
			 Milk powder (full cream) 10 10 10 11 8 10 
			 Skimmed milk powder 13 11 14 13 23 14 
			
			 UK exports(9)   
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 299 384 479 458 426 433 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 6 5 7 7 3 4 
			 Butter 74 65 56 45 41 37 
			 Cheese 53 55 62 58 68 77 
			 Cream 92 101 96 82 84 95 
			 Condensed milk 63 64 51 31 22 30 
			 Milk powder (full cream) 106 106 92 102 86 113 
			 Skimmed milk powder 45 34 60 112 30 23 
			
			 UK production(9)  
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 14,848 14,640 15,020 14,496 14,715 14,906 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 6,949 6,939 7,056 6,969 6,961 6,956 
			 Butter 139 137 141 132 126 141 
			 Cheese 377 366 368 340 395 396 
			 Cream 268 266 275 270 263 257 
			 Condensed milk 214 192 177 162 161 149 
			 Milk powder (full cream) 96 97 102 105 83 105 
			 Skimmed milk powder 109 107 102 83 71 71 
			  UK domestic use (disappearances)(9)  
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 14,681 14,388 14,656 14,146 14,335 14,547 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 7,006 6,991 7,087 6,998 6,989 6,978 
			 Butter 182 172 187 209 200 196 
			 Cheese 561 577 583 536 596 584 
			 Cream 187 176 188 198 197 174 
			 Condensed milk 166 141 138 146 150 131 
			 Milk powder (full cream) — 1 20 15 2 3 
			 Skimmed milk powder 59 57 68 50 56 45 
			
			 UK self sufficiency(12)  
			 Unprocessed liquid milk(10) 101 102 102 102 103 102 
			 Processed liquid milk(11) 99 99 100 100 100 100 
			 Butter 79 78 71 64 63 64 
			 Cheese 67 64 63 63 66 65 
			 Cream 144 151 146 137 134 140 
			 Condensed milk 130 136 127 111 105 114 
			 Milk powder (full cream)(13)   
			 Skimmed milk powder(14) 141 127 180 -527 111 115 
		
	
	(9) Thousand tonnes except figures for liquid milk, which are expressed in million litres.
	(10) Unprocessed liquid milk is milk in its natural state prior to any form of separation or processing and may be destined for either the drinking or manufacture market.
	(11) Processed liquid milk is the product following separation and treatment suitable for the drinking milk market.
	(12) Production as percentage of total new supply.
	(13) As the UK only makes negligible use of full cream milk powders the self sufficiency calculation is meaningless.
	(14) Self sufficiency rate for 2000 is not representative of other years because of the sale of intervention stocks of skimmed milk powder.
	Source:
	Agriculture in the United Kingdom (2002).

Organic Farmers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants are available to organic farmers from her Department.

Ben Bradshaw: Support for farmers converting to organic farming, as well as on-going post-conversion aid to encourage the continued management of the land in an environmentally beneficial way, is available under the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS), which is part of the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP). The rates of aid under the OFS are as follows:
	
		
			  Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total 
		
		
			 Conversion option  
			 Land eligible for Arable Area Payment Scheme and land in permanent crops (except top fruit orchards) 225 135 30 30 30 450 
			 Top Fruit orchards (cherries, pears, plums and apples—other than cider apples) 600 600 600 30 30 1,860 
			 Other improved land 175 105 23 23 23 349 
			 Unimproved grassland, rough grazing and "managed land" 25 10 5 5 5 50 
			
			 Maintenance option  
			 Land eligible for Arable Area Payment Scheme and land in permanent crops (except top fruit orchards) 30 30 30 30 30 150 
			 Top Fruit orchards (cherries, pears, plums and apples—other than cider apples) 30 30 30 30 30 150 
			 Other improved land 23 23 23 23 23 115 
			 Unimproved grassland, rough grazing and "managed land" 5 5 5 5 5 25 
		
	
	The Department also provides free advice to prospective organic farmers through the Organic Information Conversion Service (OCIS) and the Department's R&D programme includes a large component dealing with research on organic farming.

Parliamentary Questions

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Questions directed to her remain unanswered.

Alun Michael: I and my ministerial colleagues attach great importance to answering hon. Members' questions promptly. I am afraid that it is not always possible to do so, if questions, for example, ask for historical or detailed information.
	At 16 September, hon. Members had tabled 4,059 parliamentary questions to my Department; 313 questions were either transferred to another Department or withdrawn by Members.
	Of the remaining 3,746 questions, 57 are in the process of being drafted.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many enforcement notices have been issued to destroy trees or shrubs infected by phytophthora ramorum.

Ben Bradshaw: As at 16 September 2003, Enforcement notices have been issued for the destruction of trees and shrubs in respect of 305 confirmed outbreaks of phytophthora ramorum in the United Kingdom.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many inspectors are employed to prevent the import of (a) trees and (b) shrubs infected with phytophthora ramorum.

Ben Bradshaw: 76 inspectors from Defra's Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate continue to monitor trees and shrubs imported from other member states or from third countries to ensure they meet import requirements and are not carrying the disease, This work forms part of their other duties including the survey work for this disease and a wide range of activities related to other plant pests and diseases. Similar action is being taken by the devolved Authorities and the Forestry Commission.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of infection by phytophthora ramorum have been identified in national parks.

Ben Bradshaw: Seven cases of infection by phytophthora ramorum have been identified at garden centres and nurseries located within the national parks.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of infection by phytophthora ramorum have been identified in trees or shrubs on Forestry Commission land.

Ben Bradshaw: No cases of infection by phytophthora ramorum have been identified in trees and shrubs on Forestry Commission land.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many laboratory tests have been carried out in the last three months on plant material suspected of being infected with the phytophthora ramorum fungus; and what proportion has proved positive.

Ben Bradshaw: During June, July and August 2003, 2,192 individual laboratory tests have been carried out on samples of plant material suspected of being infected with phytophthora ramorum fungus in the United Kingdom. 11.8 per cent. of these samples were confirmed as being infected with this pathogen.

Phytophthora Ramorum

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a list of the (a) parks, (b) gardens and (c) other premises in England in respect of which enforcement notices have been issued to destroy trees or shrubs infected with phytophthora ramorum;
	(2)  if she will take steps to ensure that the public is aware of the identity of the premises of (a) wholesalers and (b) retailers of plants and shrubs where infections of phytophthora ramorum have been discovered.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 16 September 2003
	The Government believe the public should have as much information as possible about this disease and is happy to meet all reasonable requests for information. However, the information obtained specifically in relation to individual premises, has been gathered in pursuance of the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate's statutory powers and on the basis of this information, where necessary, enforcement notices are issued to ensure compliance. In the absence of a statutory obligation to publish details identifying individual premises, to publish such details without consent could seriously jeopardise our ability to work with business in relation to the reporting and control of phytophthora ramorum.

Sea Defences (Tendring)

Ivan Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total investment in sea defences along the coast of the Tendring Peninsula was (a) from 1992 to 1997 and (b) since 1997.

Elliot Morley: Operational responsibility for coastal defences (against erosion and flooding from the sea) along the Tendring Peninsula rests with Tendring District Council and the Environment Agency. Spending by those bodies on capital improvements and maintenance of coastal defences was (a) 9.6 million from 1992–93 to 1996–97 and (b) 15.1 million from 1997–98 to 2002–03. Much of the expenditure has been supported by Central Government funding through Defra grants on capital works and Revenue Support Grant from ODPM.

Softwood

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of softwood was imported into the United Kingdom originating from (a) the EU, (b) Norway, (c) the Baltic countries and (d) Russia in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001 and (iv) 2002.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 15 September 2003
	The figures for softwood imports are presented in the following tables.
	
		Thousand m(17) underbark
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Roundwood 
			 EU 73 85 165 273 
			 Norway 4 4 2 0 
			 Baltic countries(15) 50 29 27 38 
			 Russia 2 25 54 52 
		
	
	
		Thousand m(17)
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Sawn wood 
			 EU 3,566 3,804 3,937 4,082 
			 Norway 115 106 104 87  
			 Baltic countries(15) 1,989 2,347 2,298 2,441 
			 Russia 404 499 583 701 
		
	
	(15) Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Softwood

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of softwoods was imported in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 15 September 2003
	The figures for softwood imports are presented in the following table.
	
		
			  Roundwood Sawn Wood 
			  (Thousand m(18) underbark) (Thousand m(18)) 
		
		
			 1999 165 6,642 
			 2000 190 7,338 
			 2001 256 7,221 
			 2002 366 7,585

Softwood

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume of softwoods was harvested in the United Kingdom in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 15 September 2003
	The figures are presented in the following table:
	
		
			  Thousand m(18) underbark 
		
		
			 1999 6,867 
			 2000 6,926 
			 2001 6,997 
			 2002 6,832 
		
	
	Note:
	The figures are based on delivery volumes to wood processing industries.

Sudden Oak Death Disease

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what species of plant sudden oak death disease has been identified in the UK within the last year.

Ben Bradshaw: As at 16 September 2003, phytophthora ramorum (the cause of the syndrome sudden oak death in the USA) has been confirmed in the following species:
	
		
			 Family Species 
		
		
			 Caprifoliaceae Viburnum davidii 
			  Viburnum farreri (syn. Viburnum fragrans) 
			  Viburnum lantana 
			  Viburnum opulus 
			  Viburnum plicatum 
			  Viburnum tinus 
			  Viburnum x bodnantense (Viburnum farrerii x Viburnum grandiflorum) 
			  Viburnum x burkwoodii (Viburnum carlesii x Viburnum utile) 
			  Viburnum x carlcephalum x Viburnum, utile 
			  Viburnum x pragnense (Viburnum rhytidophyllum x Viburnum utile) 
			 Ericaceae Kalmia latifolia 
			  Leucothoe fontanesiana 
			  Pieris formosa var. forrestii  
			  Pieris formosa var. forrestii x Pieris japonica 
			  Pieris japonica 
			  Rhododendron augustinii 
			  Rhododendron balfourianum 
			  Rhododendron brachycarpum 
			  Rhododendron ferrugineum 
			  Rhododendron ponticum 
			  Rhododendron hybrids—hybrids found infected have been derived from crosses involving Rhododendron arboreum, Rhododendron campylocarpum, Rhododendron catawbiense, Rhododendron campylocapum, Rhododendron caucasicum, Rhododendron dichroanthum, Rhododendron facetum, Rhododendron forresti, Rhododendron fortunei, Rhododendron galactinum, Rhododendron geraldii, Rhododendron grande, Rhododendron griffithianum, Rhododendron griersonianum, Rhododendron mscimum, Rhododendron ponyivum, Rhododendron dmitnoeii, Rhododendron strigillosum. Rhododendron viscidifolium, Rhododendron wardii, Rhododendron yakushimanum and possibly other species 
			 Oleaceae Syringa vulgaris 
			 Taxaceae Taxus baccata 
			 Theaceae Camellia japonica, Camellia reticulata, Camellia x williamsii (Camellia saluenensis x Camellia japonica)

Sudden Oak Death Disease

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people are being employed by her Department (a) directly and (b) on a sub-contractual basis to survey gardens and nurseries for sudden oak death disease; and at what cost.

Ben Bradshaw: About 85 inspectors from Defra's Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate, the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate and the Central Science Laboratory are employed directly to survey gardens and nurseries for phytophthora ramorum in England and Wales.
	Five people from outside the Department have been employed on a contractual basis for the period July to October 2003.
	The cost of employing staff working directly on survey work and of those employed on a contractual basis since 1 January 2003 is estimated at about £400,000.

Sudden Oak Death Disease

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of sudden oak death disease have been reported to her Department in the last year.

Ben Bradshaw: Nine confirmed reports from private nurseries and other independent consultants have been received by the Department in the last year.

Sugar

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on the proposed reform of the sugar regime

Ben Bradshaw: Although the European Commission have said that they are considering the future of the EU sugar regime, no specific proposals for reform have so far been tabled.
	We have, however, received representations from a range of interests within the UK industry including beet growers, beet processors, cane refiners and companies who use sugar in the manufacture of their products, as well as from our traditional overseas cane sugar suppliers and organisations concerned with developing country issues.
	There appears to be a general consensus that the current sugar regime is unsustainable, although there are differing views on the best way forward. We shall take account of all the views expressed to us as discussions proceed.

Sustainable Development

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to make available to the general public information on the work of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.

Elliot Morley: The work of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) is communicated comprehensively through the United Nations1 own website http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/index.html and wider communications programme. Our own UK Government Sustainable development website http://www.sustainable-deveiopment.gov.uk/ contains a link to this site. Non-governmental stakeholders are consulted by HMG officials prior to the UK's attendance at these meetings, and are usually represented on the Government delegation. CSD's work is also included in Command Paper 5898 "The United Kingdom in the United Nations" published this month http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/Cm5898.pdf, copies of which were deposited in the HoC Library on Friday 5 September.

Varroa Mites

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to combat the spread of Varroa mites; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra funds a range of measures to assist the beekeeping sector in England through its bee health programme, which is delivered by the National Bee Unit (NBU), part of the Central Science Laboratory. In 2003–04, the programme will cost £1.235 million Under these measures, the NBU provides a free diagnostic and inspection service to beekeepers for varroa as well as training and technical advice to help them become more self-reliant in controlling the pest through improved bee husbandry. The NBU is also carrying out routine screening throughout England for varroa mites that are resistant to authorised pyrethroid-based treatments, having first detected them in August 2001. This year Defra also expects to spend around £248,000 on research and development to support our bee health work. This includes a three-year project that extends an earlier MAFF-funded investigation by Horticulture Research International on the use of entomopathogenic fungi as a biological control of varroa.
	Arrangements for bee health matters in Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly respectively.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of offenders subject to an antisocial behaviour order have subsequently been arrested (a) once, (b) one to five times and (c) more than five times.

Hazel Blears: Information on the number of persons who have been issued with an antisocial behaviour order and have subsequently been arrested is not collected centrally.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of individuals in the age groups (a) 12 to 14, (b) 15 to 17, (c) 18 to 21 and (d) 21 plus, who have been found guilty of breaching an antisocial behaviour order received (i) a custodial sentence and (ii) a detention and training order; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The available information, relating to England and Wales for the years 1999, 2000 and 2001 is contained in the table.
	Data for 2002 will be available in December 2003.
	
		Persons found guilty of breaching an Anti-Social Behaviour Order and the percentage given custodial sentences, England and Wales, 2000 and 2001
		
			 Year andage group Total found guilty Percentage receiving detention and training order Percentage receiving other forms of immediate custody(16) 
		
		
			 2000
			 Age 12–14 10 40 10 
			 Age 15–17 21 38 — 
			 Age 18–21 5 — 20 
			 Age 21 plus 30 — 70 
			 2001
			 Age 12–14 34 29 — 
			 Age 15–17 92 43 — 
			 Age 18–21 42 — 43 
			 Age 21 plus 90 — 51 
		
	
	(16) Includes secure training order, young offender institution and immediate imprisonment.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there have been in the last six months for breach of an antisocial behaviour order in the north-west of England.

Hazel Blears: Statistics of court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn of 2004.

Asylum Seekers

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied minors sought asylum in the UK in each of the last three years.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is given in the table. The data relate to applicants aged 17 or under. The data for 2002 are from new, more reliable, electronic sources, and are not fully comparable with data for previous years obtained from manual counts.
	
		Unaccompanied children(17),(18),(19) aged 17 or under, applying for asylum in the United Kingdom, 2000 to 2002
		
			  Total Applied at Port Applied in Country 
		
		
			 2000(20) 2,735 1,395 1,340 
			 2001(20) 3,470 1,645 1,820 
			 2002(21),(22) 6,200 1,240 4,955 
		
	
	(17) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	(18) Unaccompanied at point of arrival, aged (or if no proof) determined to be 17 or under and not known to be joining a relative or a guardian in the UK
	(19) Figures exclude age dispute cases.
	(20) May exclude some cases fodged at Local Enforcement Office and postal applications.
	(21) Figures not comparable with manual counts data prior to 2002.
	(22) Provisional figures.
	Information on asylum applications from unaccompanied asylum seeking children is published annually in the statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom", a copy of which is available in the Library, and from the RDS web site:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Asylum Seekers

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what support and advice he is giving to refugee and asylum support organisations to assist asylum seekers with travel to Croydon to lodge an asylum application;
	(2)  what support he is giving to asylum seekers to enable them to travel to Croydon to lodge an asylum application.

Beverley Hughes: Those seeking asylum should claim on arrival in the United Kingdom or as soon as practicable thereafter. If their claim is post arrival it should be made at an Asylum Screening Unit (ASU). The three ASUs are in Croydon, Liverpool and Solihull.
	There is no provision to fund the travel of those seeking to lodge an application for asylum.

Asylum Seekers

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the operation of section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.

Beverley Hughes: Section 55, which came into force on 8 January 2003, is one of a package of robust Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act measures to restore credibility to the UK asylum system.Since February 2003, a number of test cases have been before the Courts. The most recent Court of Appeal hearing was on 27 August and the judgement is expected shortly. Statistics on the operation of section 55 have been published in the Home Office Asylum Statistics for the first and second quarters of 2003. We will continue to monitor its impact closely.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on how the European legislation on immigration will affect the amount of money the Government spends on financial aid for asylum seekers.

Beverley Hughes: As part of the package of measures designed to establish minimum standards on asylum foreseen by the 1999 Tampere European Council, the Council Directive laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers (2003/9/EC) contains provisions for financial aid for asylum seekers. This lays down minimum standards for the material reception conditions of asylum seekers and their dependants.
	Member states are required to transpose the Directive by the 6 February 2005 and work to take this forward is continuing. This will have a limited effect as the UK already meets the directives' provisions relating to financial allowances for asylum
	seekers.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that asylum seekers who come to the United Kingdom as children do not stay for a period longer than that to which they are permitted once they turn 18 years of age.

Beverley Hughes: Unaccompanied asylum seeking children who are permitted to stay solely because of a lack of reception and accommodation arrangements in their country are not granted leave beyond their 18th birthday. Once they turn 18 they must leave or apply for an extension of their leave. If that application is refused, or they do not submit any such application, their details are passed to the relevant local enforcement office for removal action. Removal action in these cases is undertaken as a matter of priority.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many asylum applications were (a) accepted and (b) rejected in (i) 2002 and (ii) 1997.
	(2)  what percentage of asylum applications were rejected in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The table shows the outcomes of initial decisions made by the Home Office since 1997. These statistics relate to initial decisions only and exclude the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. Initial decisions in any given year may relate to applications made in earlier years.
	Overall, it is estimated that 42 per cent. of the applications in 2002 resulted in grants of asylum (10 per cent.) or of exceptional leave to remain (23 per cent.), or in allowed appeals (10 per cent.). Comparable data are not available for 1997, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files. Exceptional leave to remain has now been replaced by Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave with a much tighter set of criteria.
	Information on the number of asylum applications and initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Initial decisions(23),(24) on applications received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, 1997 to 2002
		
			  Initial Decisions(25) 
			Cases considered under normal procedures Backlog clearance exercise 
			 Year Total decisions Recognised asrefugee and grantedasylum Not recognised asrefugee but grantedexceptional leave Total Refused Granted asylum orexceptional leaveunder backlogcriteria(27),(28) Refused underbacklog criteria(27),(29) 
		
		
			   (26)—  (26)—  (26)—  (26)—  (26)—  (26)— 
			 1997 36,045 (100) 3,985 (11) 3,115 (9) 28,945 (80) n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998 31,570 (100) 5,345 (17) 3,910 (12) 22,315 (71) n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1999 33,720 (100) 7,815 (36) 2,465 (12) 11,025 (52) 11,140 (90) 1,275 (10) 
			 2000 109,205 (100) 10,375 (11) 11,495 (12) 75,680 (78) 10,325 (89) 1,335 (11) 
			 2001(R) 120,950 (100) 11,450 (9) 20,190 (17) 89,310 (74) n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002(P) 83,540 (100) 8,270 (10) 20,135 (24) 55,130 (66) n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	(23) Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications received in the same period.
	(24) Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest 5.
	(25) Information is of initial decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
	(26) Percentages for cases considered under normal procedures and those within the backlog clearance exercise are calculated separately.
	(27) Cases decided under measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 asylum application backlog.
	(28) Includes cases where asylum or exceptional leave has been granted under the backlog criteria.
	(29) Includes some cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.
	(P) Provisional figures.
	(R) Revised figures,
	n/a Not available.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline the procedure used in deciding where to place asylum seekers.

Beverley Hughes: The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is responsible for accommodating and supporting destitute asylum seekers and their dependants. Asylum seekers who request that accommodation be provided to them will be dispersed on a "no-choice" basis to one of the cluster areas around the UK. Cluster areas are ideally based in towns and cities where suitable accommodation is available and where there is potential to provide a link with existing multi-cultural communities and where the support of local voluntary and community groups is available.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much individual asylum cases cost (a) central and (b) local government in each year from 1997 to 2002.

Beverley Hughes: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate within the Home Office assumed responsibility for the direct costs of supporting asylum seekers from April 1999. The average costs per week for the years 1999–2000 to 2001–02 are as follows.
	
		
			  Singles Families 
		
		
			 1999–2000 (estimated) 150 220 
			 2000–01 134 287 
			 2001–02 122 278 
		
	
	The costs include payments made to local authorities for accommodation, as well as those made to the private sector. Further information on any other costs to local or central government, specifically related to asylum seekers, is not currently available.

Asylum Seekers

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to provide transport to allow asylum seekers held at the proposed Bicester centre to travel to Aylesbury and other towns; and what his estimate is of the cost of such a service to public funds.

Beverley Hughes: As a requirement of planning approval the operating contractor of the accommodation centre at Bicester will run a minibus service, principally for the use of staff and visitors, to provide an alternative means of travel to the private car. The service will operate between the accommodation centre and the towns from which it is anticipated that the centre's employees will be drawn; these are expected to be Bicester, Oxford, Aylesbury and Banbury. Asylum seekers supported at the accommodation centre will be allowed to use the minibus service subject to capacity, as well as compliance with reporting and residence requirements.
	We are in the process of appointing a contractor to design, build and operate the accommodation centre. Therefore the estimated cost of the minibus service is commercially confidential.

Asylum Seekers

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are detained under immigration law; and of these how many are awaiting removal from the UK.

Beverley Hughes: As at 28 June 2003 (the latest date for which information is available) there were 1,355 asylum seekers detained solely under the Immigration Act. Information on the number of these who were awaiting removal would be available only by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the number of asylum applicants detained solely under the Immigration Act is published quarterly on the Home Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html. Data for those detained at the end of September 2003 will be published at the end of November.

Asylum Seekers

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children of asylum seekers have been held in detention in each of the last 12 months; and what the average length of time is for which each child is held.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of children of asylum seekers detained in each of the last 12 months and the length of time for which they were held could be collated only at disproportionate cost. However, we are reviewing the quality of data on all immigration detainees to assess whether more data can appropriately be published and, if so, how.

Cigarette Lighters

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Cigarette Lighter Refill Gas Regulations; what plans he has for (a) increasing the age limit and (b) introducing a licensing system; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Cigarette Lighter Refill (Safety) Regulations 1999 prohibit the sale or supply of such refills to anyone under 18 years. The Regulations came into force on 1 October 1999 and are enforced by local authority trading standards officers. Local Trading Standards departments have a key public protection role, carrying out surveys within their areas to find out whether shops are selling lighter refills to under age persons, and investigating possible legal breaches.
	Although the number of deaths resulting from the abuse of butane gas refills and other volatile substances has remained fairly stable since 1991, the Government remain very concerned about any young person who dies in this way. We do not believe, however, that increasing the age limit to which the Regulations apply would help to any significant degree. Nor do we think a licensing system would add significantly to the controls which are already in place.
	In partnership with other Government Departments including DfES, Home Office and DTI, the Department of Health is putting together a comprehensive action plan, within the context of wider substance misuse policy, covering key areas such as prevention, manufacturing, research and legislation. A first draft should be available in autumn 2003.

Country Policy and Information Unit

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the (a) content and (b) use made of the country information produced by the Country Policy and Information Unit.

Beverley Hughes: The Home Office published research "Country of Origin Information: A User and Content Evaluation" on 1 September 2003. The full text of the research is available at http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/r211.pdf.
	The research was commissioned by the Country Information and Policy Unit and conducted by the Research Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS) in 2001. The findings of the research relate to the position at that time and many of the report's recommendations have since been addressed.
	In particular, the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 provided for an independent Advisory Panel on Country Information to be established to provide recommendations on the content of Home Office country information, to help ensure the content of Home Office country information, to help ensure that it is as objective as possible. The advisory panel will also meet the report's recommendations that an expert panel of topic and country specialists should be set up to review CIPU's material and that steps should be taken to improve consultation with external stakeholders.
	The Home Secretary is satisfied that the country of origin information produced by the Home Office is accurate and objective and the expert input of the advisory panel can only serve to enhance the quality of CIPU's material.
	The advisory panel is chaired by Professor Stephen Castles, Director of the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford and held its first meeting on 2 September 2003. The minutes of the panel's meetings will be published in due course.

Depleted Uranium

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the dangers to those who come into close proximity to depleted uranium stolen from a site in Thurrock during July; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I have been asked to reply.
	A container made from depleted uranium was in a van stolen from inside a warehouse on 7 July 2003. The container was part of the normal emergency equipment carried in case there should be a problem with a source of ionising radiation that had not yet been loaded into the van. The Health and Safety Executive investigated the incident and concluded that the container would be safe to approach and handle. Even if it was mistreated, such as by fire or explosion, only very extreme conditions would result in the possibility of airborne radioactivity that could lead to low level internal exposure.
	There is no reason to believe that the theft of the van was other than opportunistic.

Domestic Violence

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to extend the introduction of the one year period of reflection rule in cases of domestic violence to asylum seeking women, and to women and children who are victims of trafficking for sexual purposes.

Beverley Hughes: There is provision in the Immigration Rules to assist those who have sought leave to enter based upon marriage, whose marriage subsequently breaks down during the probationary period as a result of domestic violence, to settle in the UK, providing they meet certain criteria. There are no plans at the moment to extend this provision to asylum seeking women, or to women and children who are victims of trafficking for sexual purposes. We believe there are already adequate safeguards in the system for their protection, and that decisions on each case should be made on the basis of individual circumstances.

Essex Police Force

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the approved strength of the Essex police force is; and how many vacancies there are.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office does not set approved strengths for police forces. Essex police had 2,995 police officers on 31 December 2002, a record number. The force employed 1,571 police staff on 31 March 2002, the latest date for which figures are available.
	I understand that the force intends to take on 105 officers during the remainder of 2003–04.

Experience Corps Scheme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Experience Corps Scheme.

Fiona Mactaggart: The experience corps has been a useful project, which has enabled us to learn a number of lessons about attracting older volunteers. The experience corps were recently evaluated and the findings suggest that there were concerns surrounding their figures on volunteer recruitment. While they have attracted a significant number of volunteers, they are likely to fall short of their target.
	Our current funding agreement with the experience corps comes to an end in March 2004. We have decided not to continue to fund the experience corps beyond that date. We are still, however, committed to encouraging older people to volunteer.

Hoax Telephone Calls

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals suspected of making hoax calls to the emergency services have (a) been arrested and (b) had their telephones disconnected in the last two months for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Information on the number of persons arrested for making false calls in order to cause annoyance is not collected centrally.

Immigrants (Scotland)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive on attracting immigrants to Scotland.

Beverley Hughes: Discussions between Home Office and Scottish Executive Ministers take place regularly on a number of issues, and these have included the Scottish Executive's interest in UK managed migration policies.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff there were in each office of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in the last year for which figures are available; and what the remit of each office is.

Beverley Hughes: The number of full-time equivalent staff in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate by business area, at 30 June 2003 was:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Immigration Service—(including border controls and removals) 6,500 
			 Asylum support, asylum casework and appeals 2,830 
			 Managed Migration (applications for leave to remain, nationality and work permits) 1,690 
			 Non-operational (includes policy development and corporate services) 1,880

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up an Immigration and Nationality Directorate office in Scotland.

Beverley Hughes: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) has a Public Enquiry Office (PEO) in Glasgow. In May 2003, responsibility for this office transferred from UK Immigration service to the IND. Since this transfer, the Glasgow office has expanded their services and now deal with all types of straightforward applications for leave to remain and settlement. Applicants are required to make an appointment prior to attending. There are no plans for any further offices to be opened in Scotland.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many items (a) deposited at and (b) posted to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate have been (i) lost at and (ii) stolen from each office in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Information dating back to 1993 for each of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's buildings is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 12 June 2003, Official Report, column 1053W, and would add that as at 4 September this year, 2,872 requests for the return of documents had been received and 571 lost passport letters issued. A range of measures including the setting up of secure handling areas and the early return of sponsors' passports are currently being put in place to improve significantly IND's ability to find and return documents at the time of request.

Immigration

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 11 July, Official Report, column 1068W, on immigration, how long it takes on average to perform the checks to which he refers.

Beverley Hughes: When the decision is taken by an immigration officer to release a person on temporary admission the number of checks undertaken depend upon the individual circumstances of the case.
	The average time taken to perform the checks varies in view of this. However, given that some checks, such as the computerised Warnings Index, involve using information readily to hand to the Immigration Service they can be carried out immediately. Where the information has to be obtained from an outside agency, such as the police national computer or electoral registrar, the checks can take longer, but should still ordinarily be completed within a matter of hours.

Immigration

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce British citizenship tests for immigrants; how long they would take to complete; who will oversee the testing; and if those who fail will be deported.

Beverley Hughes: The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act received Royal Assent on 7 November 2002. Section One, which relates to these requirements, will come into force by Commencement Order once its new requirements have been finalised.
	The "Life in the UK" advisory group, appointed by my right hon. friend the Home Secretary to look at the content, conduct and implementation of programmes of study, published its final report on 3 September. A copy has been placed in the Library. The Government are considering their recommendations and no firm conclusions have yet been made about the nature of tests and who will oversee them.
	Naturalisation applicants must have indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. They will not therefore be liable to removal solely on the basis of their lack of language skills or knowledge of life in the UK. As now, naturalisation applicants will be able to re-apply if they are unsuccessful.

Independent Documentation Centre

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the outcome was of the consultation in 1998 on the establishment of an independent documentation centre to provide country of origin information in assessing the cases of asylum seekers;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to establish an independent documentation centre.

Beverley Hughes: The Consultative Group on Country Information reported in December 1998. It recommended, inter alia, that an independent documentation centre should be established to provide country of origin information for use in the asylum process.
	Home Office Ministers considered this recommendation, but at that time IND's priority was to support the recovery of asylum decision output through the expansion and improvement of advice to caseworkers, including implementing other Consultative Group recommendations about the format and content of country of origin information material produced by the Home Office's Country Information and Policy Unit (CIPU).
	In 2001, the Home Office commissioned research into the production and use of its country of origin information material. By this time, the CIPU had established a track record for accurate research, with its reports being widely used as source documents by other countries and for material produced by non-governmental organisations. It was therefore decided to await the outcome of the research before proceeding with a feasibility study on the Independent Documentation Centre proposal.
	The research, which was published on 1 September 2003 in a report entitled "Country of Origin Information: a user and content evaluation", noted the on-going debate about whether an independent documentation would be the best way to assure the objectivity of the country of origin material used in the asylum process. The report suggested that if it was decided not to proceed with the independent documentation centre, measures should be taken to ensure country of origin information produced by CIPU was impartial and objective. The full text of the research is available at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/r211.pdf
	Rather than establishing an independent documentation centre, it was decided to build upon CIPU's existing structures and strengths, and introduce measures to ensure the quality and accuracy of the country information products used in the asylum process. The Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 provided for an independent Advisory Panel on Country Information to be established to provide recommendations on the content of Home Office country information and help to ensure that it is as objective as possible. The Advisory Panel will also meet the report's recommendations that an expert panel of topic and country specialists should be set up to review CIPU's material and that steps should be taken to improve consultation with external stakeholders.
	The Advisory Panel is chaired by Professor Stephen Castles, Director of the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford and held its first meeting on 2 September 2003. The minutes of the panel's meetings will be published in due course.

Iraq

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Defence and (b) the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on allowing British police officers to volunteer to go to Iraq to help train the Iraqi Police Force; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I have agreed to a request from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to ask the Association of Chief Police Officers to seek up to 200 volunteers to create a pool of United Kingdom police officers for potential deployment to Iraq to assist in the reform of the Iraqi Police Service. The pool is intended to sustain the deployment of up to 100 United Kingdom officers at any one time.
	Officers will be deployed only when conditions are right. The security position will be reviewed regularly.

Leave to Remain

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis the figures of (a) £155 and (b) £250 were set for charges for in-country applicants wishing to extend their stay in the UK.

Beverley Hughes: Fees are set under Treasury rules to recover the full administrative cost entailed in considering applications and no more. This is calculated by taking the overall costs of processing applications divided by the number of decisions we expect to make.

Leave to Remain

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated revenue per year is from the introduction of charges for in-country applicants wishing to extend their stay in the UK; what estimate he has made of the impact in the UK; and if he will consider applications for the fee to be waived.

Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced in February 2002 in his White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain", that he would be introducing charges in order to fund the modernisation of IND. The regulations were laid on 10 July. IND already charges fees in respect of Nationality applications and for Travel Documents, and since 1 April 2003 for Work Permits.
	We continue to welcome the many foreign nationals who choose to study, work and live in the UK—they boost our economy and add to our thriving cosmopolitan society. Many apply to extend their stay each year, and it is right that they should meet the costs of that. The Government have made significant investment in recent years to improve all aspects of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, including the standard of service people receive when they submit applications. Charging will help us to continue to improve the efficiency and speed with which we process these applications, leading to ever higher levels of customer service.
	I have decided that all those who can legally be charged will be. Therefore, the only exemptions to this are EU nationals (and third country nationals who are their dependants); those making a claim for asylum or for protection under Article 3 of the ECHR; people applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain on the grounds of domestic violence where, at the time of making of the application, the applicants appear to be destitute; and those exempt from immigration control.
	Any further exemptions would leave an unfair burden on the general taxpayer or threaten the much needed service improvements which will be facilitated by charging.
	The estimated revenue for introducing charging for leave to remain applications is £90 million.

Merseyside Police Force

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) civilian support staff were employed by Merseyside Police in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002.

Hazel Blears: The information is given in the table.
	
		Merseyside Police(30)
		
			  Police officers Police staff 
		
		
			 31 March 2000 4,085 1,458 
			 31 March 2001 4,081 1,418 
			 31 March 2002 4,125 1,532 
			 31 December 2002 4,180 — 
		
	
	(30) Figures are full time equivalents
	Source:
	Home Office Statistics

National Crack Plan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the impact of the National Crack Plan.

Caroline Flint: The National Crack Plan, which was published in December 2002, recognises the particular harm done by the supply and use of crack cocaine. It requires action under all four aims of the Updated Drug Strategy and focused particularly on the 37 areas that have been identified as high crack areas.
	Examples of resulting activity include; the introduction of legislation to fast track the closure of crack houses; the introduction, in collaboration with overseas Governments, of measures to reduce the supply of cocaine from the Caribbean; the piloting and evaluation of crack treatment services to expand provision and determine what works best, and the extension of diversionary activity programmes for young people to 31 high crack areas.
	There is still much to do to combat the harm caused by crack cocaine, but we are determined, through the National Crack Plan, to make a difference.

Operation Ulysses

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial and administrative support his Department provides to Operation Ulysses concerning control of migration to Europe.

Beverley Hughes: The Government have provided no direct financial support to Operation Ulysses. Contributions have instead been made in kind to both phases of the operation.
	The UK adopts a multi-agency approach to combating illegal immigration. For the first phase, HM Customs and Excise committed a Cutter vessel; and for the second phase the Ministry of Defence provided a Nimrod aircraft for surveillance purposes. All the travel and subsistence costs incurred by the crews involved will be reimbursed through European Community funding. Additionally, the Home Office and the British embassy in Spain have provided administrative assistance.

Passports

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to protect the United Kingdom from the use of illicit passports.

Beverley Hughes: The United Kingdom has a range of measures aimed at preventing people using forged or improperly obtained documents entering the country. These include a network of Airline Liaison Officers overseas, a comprehensive visa strategy, international co-operation, development of expertise within the Immigration Service and special exercises.
	In the UK, the lead is taken by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate National Forgery Unit (NFU) who have links with other agencies including the police. The NFU provides equipment, training and intelligence to immigration officers in the UK, and to those serving abroad, including Airline Liaison Officers. Immigration officers, specially trained in forgery detection work, are based at all UK ports. 9,664 fraudulent documents were detected at UK ports in 2002, an increase of 46 per cent. over 2001.
	The NFU organises regular exercises targeting specific documents, which show a high rate of recorded abuse, and these have proven particularly effective. NFU also have a permanent presence at IND's main offices in Croydon, where they examine documents submitted in support of applications for leave to remain. In 2002, a total of 461 fraudulent documents was detected there.
	As part of its external borders policy, the UK maintains a network of 25 Airline Liaison Officers at key locations abroad. They offer advice, training and expertise to airlines, to help prevent the carriage of inadequately documented passengers to the UK. British immigration officers are now working alongside their French counterparts in Calais, offering advice on the validity of travel documents. The UK also works closely with the EU and G8 states, exchanging information and expertise to combat passport abuse.

Visa Requirements

John Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will lift the visa requirement on Slovak citizens for entry into the United Kingdom.

Beverley Hughes: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Rammell) on 13 May 2003, Official Report, column 160W.

Work Permits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits have been granted to people seeking to work in the British information technology industry in each of the past five years.

Beverley Hughes: The number of work permit approvals in respectof the computer services industry in each of the past five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998 5,786 
			 1999 7,266 
			 2000 17,288 
			 2001 23,203 
			 2002 19,877

Work Permits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the India Business Group was asked to join the Work Permits Panel; and if he will make a statement on the balance of its membership (a) inside and (b) outside the UK.

Beverley Hughes: Work Permits (UK) seeks to ensure that the membership of the Information Technology, Communications and Electronic Sector Advisory Panel is balanced and represents all those stakeholders which have a direct interest in the operation of the work permit arrangements in this area and which are able to provide WPUK with advice on labour market conditions in this area. The membership of the panel comprises employer and employee groups, as well as other Government Departments and non-governmental organisations. The India Business Group was invited to join the Panel on the basis that it represents businesses located in the United Kingdom which are users of the work permit arrangements.

Yarlswood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will widen the terms of reference of the inquiry by Mr. Stephen Shaw into the Yarlswood fire to include the conduct of Group 4 (a) in the period leading up to 14 February 2002 and (b) on the night of 14 February 2002.

Beverley Hughes: There is no need to do so. Stephen Shaw's terms of reference are such as to allow him to consider matters leading up to the events on 14 and 15 February last year.

Yarlswood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will urge Mr. Stephen Shaw to take evidence in public during the inquiry into the events surrounding the fire at the Yarlswood Removal Centre on 14 February 2002.

Beverley Hughes: No. In view of the interest shown in the events at Yarlswood last February, we concluded that it would be preferable for the outcome of the investigation to be fully independent. Stephen Shaw was asked to take overall responsibility for the investigation. A full public inquiry would not be appropriate.

Yarlswood

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the report presented to him in September 2002 by Mr. Stephen Moore about events leading up to, and including, the fire at Yarlswood on 14 February 2002.

Beverley Hughes: No. The material gathered by Stephen Moore must be regarded as work in progress, which Stephen Shaw will draw on as part of his inquiry.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 8 September 2003, ref.128526, on Afghanistan, if he will make a statement on (a) the strategic importance of the Afghan National Army in promoting stability in Afghanistan and (b) the development of the Afghan National Army.

Adam Ingram: The Bonn Agreement of 5 December 2001 acknowledges that responsibility for security in Afghanistan lies with the Afghans themselves, but seeks international assistance in establishing and training new security forces. The creation of an effective and representative Afghan National Army is therefore an essential component in ensuring the future security and stability of Afghanistan. Development of the Afghan National Army continues.

Aircraft Carriers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the revised costing for the carrier programme will be accommodated within his Department's budget; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: As announced by the Secretary of State for Defence in January this year, our estimate of the cost of the Demonstration and Manufacture (D and M) of the future carriers is around £3 billion. This estimate will be refined further during the remainder of the Assessment phase prior to establishing D and M contracting arrangements currently planned for Spring 2004.
	Funding for this project has been already been set aside within the defence budget and is allocated to the Equipment Plan as is the case with all defence equipment projects.

Commissioned Ship Logs

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in the last 10 years logs of commissioned ships have been lost overboard.

Adam Ingram: Ships logs, which are produced by all units on a monthly basis, are occasionally lost. This may be for a variety of reasons. There is however, no central record which could provide details of missing or lost logs. That information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Defence Exhibition

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost of holding the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition in September was to (a) the Ministry of Defence, (b) the Department of Trade and Industry, (c) Trade Partners UK and (d) other government departments and agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: In reply to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) on 20 May 2003, Official Report, columns 677–78 W, I provided an estimate of the direct cost of the exhibition to the Ministry of Defence. The final cost remains to be established, but we do not expect it to exceed the estimated figure.
	The Metropolitan police estimate a total of £1.48 million in additional pay and other costs associated with policing the event. British Transport Police estimate their cost of policing the event as £250,000. As above, the final cost remains to be established.
	Neither the Department of Trade and Industry nor Trade Partners UK incurred costs.

Falkland Islands

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the incidents involving Argentinian military personnel and (a) British troops and (b) Falkland Islands residents in the past six years.

Adam Ingram: The armed forces of the United Kingdom and Argentina participate in a range of joint activities as part of a bilateral defence relations programme. We are unaware of any significant incidents between Argentinian military personnel and our own armed forces or residents of the Falkland Islands.

Falkland Islands

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) fisheries protection vessels and (b) maritime patrol aircraft have been operational in the Falkland Islands in each of the past six years.

Adam Ingram: Fisheries Protection Vessels are provided by the Falklands Islands Government. In addition, the Falkland Islands Patrol Vessel is permanently stationed in the Falkland Islands, with the exception of short absences for visits and maintenance periods in South America. Maritime air patrol tasks are undertaken by assets permanently stationed in the Falkland Islands (currently a C-130 and a VC-10), and on various occasions over the past six years specialist maritime patrol aircraft have also been deployed to the Falkland Islands.

Falkland Islands

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force in the Falkland Islands has been in each of the last six years.

Adam Ingram: Force level in the Falkland Islands for each of the past six years, broken down by service, are shown in the following table. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10, and, due to rounding methods used, totals may not equal the sum of the individual components.
	
		
			  April 1997 April 1998 April 1999 April 2000 April 2001 April 2002 October 2002 
		
		
			 Naval Service 260 100 50 270 40 40 40 
			 Army 620 600 640 580 680 640 480 
			 RAF 900 850 860 770 740 670 670 
			 Total 1,790 1,550 1,550 1,620 1,460 1,350 1,200

Force Readiness

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the (a) Army, (b) Naval service and (c) RAF units, required to be rapidly available, are at (i) very high, (ii) high and (iii) medium states of readiness.

Adam Ingram: Data on forces at very high, high and medium states of readiness were collected in support of the Spending Review 2000 Public Service Agreement (PSA) target that by 2005 a minimum of 90 per cent. of rapidly available military units (described as those held at very high, high or medium readiness) should be at the required states of readiness. Information against this PSA target was last collected for the quarter ending 31 March 2003. Performance for that quarter was:
	
		Percentage of Rapidly Available Elements at Required Readiness States (quarter ending 31 March 2003)
		
			 Service Proportion at very high, high and medium readiness (%) 
		
		
			 Royal Navy and Royal Marines 91 
			 Army (31)29 
			 Royal Air Force 91 
		
	
	(31) Army data excludes forces deployed in the Gulf or recovering from emergency fire-fighting activities as these were not rapidly available for alternative tasks.
	In order to provide a more comprehensive view of military preparedness, performance against Spending Review 2002 PSA Target 3 is assessed on the basis of the readiness state of all forces. Details of the basis for the assessment are set out in the Technical Note to the 2002 PSA targets, available on the Department's website http://www.mod.uk. At the end of the first quarter of financial year 2003–04, the first time when performance was measured against Spending Review 2002 targets, 77 per cent. of force elements were assessed as meeting their readiness requirement with no critical weakness. These figures reflect the impact of both Operation FRESCO and Operation TELIC.
	I am withholding more detailed information about the readiness of our armed forces under Exemption 1 the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (1997).

Future Rapid Effects System

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will incorporate TRACER technology in Future Rapid Effects System; and what assessment he has made of the possibility of incorporating TRACER technology in Future Rapid Effects System under an open international competition for Future Rapid Effects System development and manufacture.

Adam Ingram: The Future Rapid Effect System project is currently in the Concept Phase. We are reviewing procurement options and no decision has yet been made on how to take the programme forward. It is too early to state what technologies might be incorporated in the eventual solution but where possible we shall look to exploit past development activity.

HMS Sheffield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answers of 9 September 2003, ref 127274 and to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch) of 4 February 2003, Official Report, column 174W, on HMS Sheffield, what the reasons are for the difference between the cost of operating HMS Sheffield in 2001–02 and the cost of operating ships in the same class in the same year; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 4 February 2003, Official Report, column 174W. There was a misprint in Hansard and the figure for HMS Sheffield's annual operating costs should have read £35 million. The average annual operating costs for Batch 3 Type 22 Frigates I gave in my answer of 9 September 2003, ref 127274 was £11.9 million.
	The apparent discrepancy arose because the cost for HMS Sheffield included an element for depreciation and cost of capital, but excluded annual maintenance, while the costs provided for Batch 3 Type 22 Frigates included maintenance but excluded depreciation and cost of capital.
	When compared on a "like-for-like" basis, the average annual operating costs, based on direct costs charged to FY01-02, including costs for manpower, fuel, stores and other costs (such as port visits) were £8.1 million for HMS Sheffield and £8.3 million for Batch 3 Type 22 Frigates.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the source was for the allegation at Paragraph 2, Page 19, of the dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction of September 2002, that the Iraqi military were able to deploy chemical or biological weapons within 45 minutes of an order to do so; what attempts were made to verify the source of this information prior to deciding to include it in the dossier; on what date this information became available to British intelligence sources; whether details were passed on to the intelligence agencies of the United States and other allies for comment prior to publication; and whether protection has been offered or provided to the source since receipt of the information.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	As the ISC has reported, based on the evidence of the Chief of SIS, the source of the report was a senior military officer in a position to comment on the deployment of chemical and biological weapons. The source was regarded as reliable. The report was issued on 30 August 2002. The dossier which included the information about the 45-minute claim was passed for comment to the US Government. It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on issues relating to the validation or protection of intelligence sources. The security and intelligence agencies are not within the scope of the Code of Practice to Government Information.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the basis for the assertion made by the Director of the Joint US-UK Iraq Survey Team, that Saddam Hussein had given orders for his commanders to fire chemical shells at forces invading Iraq.

Adam Ingram: It is not the Department's policy to comment on remarks allegedly made in a classified briefing to United States Congressional Committees. Coalition forces continue actively to pursue intelligence leads, documentation and individuals connected with Iraq's WMD programmes through the Iraq Survey Group.

Iraq

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what total additional amount has been spent by his Department on operations in Iraq in each month since 1 January;
	(2)  what the cost was of deployment of troops to Iraq's neighbouring countries in the build up to the invasion of Iraq;
	(3)  if he will estimate the total additional monthly cost of British operations in Iraq;
	(4)  if he will estimate the extra monthly cost of one member of personnel in the occupation force in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence identifies the costs of Operations in terms of the net additional costs it has incurred. The costs which the MOD would have incurred had the operation not been undertaken—expenditure on wages and salaries or on conducting training exercises, for example—are deducted from the total costs of the operation.
	Calculating all the costs of military action will take some time since they will include the cost of ammunition, bombs and guided weapons consumed in excess of peacetime levels and the cost of repairing and replacing equipment destroyed and damaged. We do however estimate the cost of preparatory activities in 2002–03 at around £700 million, less than the £1 billion set aside at Spring Supplementary Estimates 2002–03. This estimate includes the procurement or modification of equipment, increased maintenance and stock consumption, civil sea and air charter and provision of infrastructure in-theatre. A figure for total costs in 2002–03 including the cost of operations up to 31 March 2003 will be published in the Ministry of Defence's Resource Accounts.
	It is too early to estimate the costs likely to arise in 2003–04. Once these are known, additional funding will be sought in the normal way through Supplementary Estimates.
	Accounting records and costs are not maintained on a daily basis while force levels have fluctuated considerably during 2003–04. As a result, to provide daily or per person average costs would be misleading.

Iraq

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of how long it will take to clear unexploded ordnance in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom and other Coalition Armed Forces and Non-Governmental Organisation teams have been engaged in Explosive Ordnance Disposal tasks since before the end of the conflict in Iraq. To date, UK and other Coalition Explosive Ordnance Disposal Teams in the UK Area of Operation have completed over 1,500 tasks and destroyed over 500,000 individual munitions. Those munitions include not only those dropped or fired by Coalition Forces, but also many from the Iraq-Iran war as well as mines laid, ordnance fired or dropped, and stores of ammunition and other ordnance left by Iraqi military and paramilitary forces. It is not yet possible to say either what percentage of unexploded munitions have been cleared nor when all the work will be completed.

Logistical Support

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effects he expects the changes proposed in the Government's review of logistic support to the armed forces to have on the jobs of those employed in providing this logistical support.

Adam Ingram: The review team recently reported on the delivery of logistic support and made recommendations for improved effectiveness and efficiency. The proposed changes will have implications for Service and civilian personnel, but it is too early to say what the effects will be. These will be addressed in detail during the next phase of work, where some of the review's recommendations will be piloted and trialled. Any changes with significant investment or civilian employment implications will be subjected to thorough investment appraisals and trades union consultation before decisions are made. Personnel who are potentially affected will be kept closely in touch with developments. No changes will be made until we are confident that they can deliver better and more cost-effective logistic support to the front line.

Manning Control Review

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers since 1997 who were subject to Manning Control (a) submitted a redress to the Army Board and were still dismissed and (b) had their redress rejected by the Board, but were retained.

Ivor Caplin: None.

Medical Personnel

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) main battle tanks and (b) other armoured fighting vehicles, broken down by type, were deployed to Iraq for the purposes of military operations there; what proportions of each of these (i) were destroyed or seriously damaged in action, (ii) were rendered unserviceable through other causes and (iii) were operationally available at the conclusion of the fighting.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is as follows.
	116 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks (CR2) were deployed to theatre.
	982 other armoured fighting vehicles were deployed on OP TELIC broken down as follows:
	
		
			 Vehicle type Number 
		
		
			 Challenger Armoured Recovery Vehicles (CRARRV) 26 
			 WARRIOR—Medium Armoured Fighting Vehicles 239 
			 CVR(T)—Light Armoured Fighting Vehicles 212 
			 FV 430—Light Armoured Fighting Vehicles 430 
			 AS90—155mm Artillery Piece 32 
			 AVLB—Armoured Vehicle Launching Bridge 12 
			 AVRE—Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineer 12 
			 CET—Combat Engineer Tractor 19 
		
	
	Of the vehicles listed in the previous table, five were destroyed as follows:
	
		
			 Vehicle type How destroyed 
		
		
			 CR2 Tank Battle 
			 CVR(T) SCIMITAR Air Land Battle 
			 CVR(T) SCIMITAR Air Land Battle 
			 CVR(T) SCIMITAR Rolled Vehicle 
			 CVR(T) SULTAN Drowned Vehicle 
		
	
	Availability of armoured vehicle types fit for combat between the beginning of the deployment and the conclusion of decisive combat operations on 30 April varied as shown:
	
		
			 Vehicle type % Availability 
		
		
			 CR2 73–97 
			 CRARRV 81–100 
			 WARRIOR 74–96 
			 CVR(T) 78–100 
			 FV430 75–98 
			 AS90 88–100 
			 AVLB 75–100 
			 AVRE 67–100 
			 CET 11–83 
		
	
	Availability of armoured vehicles fit for combat at the conclusion of decisive combat operations is listed.
	
		
			 Vehicle type % Availability 
		
		
			 CR2 73 
			 CRARRV 95 
			 WARRIOR 78 
			 CVR(T) 80 
			 FV430 84 
			 AS90 100 
			 AVLB 100 
			 AVRE 100 
			 CET 53 
		
	
	These figures were compiled under operational conditions and may therefore be subject to further revision.

Project Isolus

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to select the final short-list for Project Isolus; what the extent of (a) public and (b) local authority consultation will be; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: We expect to short-list those companies to be invited to undertake more detailed negotiations with the Ministry of Defence on Project Isolus by spring 2004. The public consultation, which will inform our evaluation of outline proposals to determine this short-list, will comprise a number of focus groups in areas near to proposed sites. A citizen's panel, made up of random members of the public and representatives from the areas affected, will also be convened. In addition, the dedicated project website will be refreshed with unclassified versions of the proposals and will provide a discussion forum for the public to express their views.
	Consultation with local authorities affected by the outline proposals will be carried out and a stakeholder's group, to include representatives from local authorities and NGOs, will be convened. Lancaster University, who are running the consultation process on our behalf, are also contacting the local authorities to arrange a series of local access events such as drop-in centres or public meetings.
	It is expected that detailed negotiations with short-listed companies will take up to three years to complete, and that a preferred bidder, solution and location will be selected in 2006. There will be further public consultation during this time.

Nuclear Waste

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consents would be required by a private company wishing to use a site in Scotland for (a) breaking up decommissioned nuclear submarines and (b) storing nuclear waste.

Adam Ingram: Any private company involved in breaking up or storing the radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear submarines on sites in Scotland would be subject to regulation by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, and would require consent from the Department of Transport if the radioactive waste were to be moved by land. The break-up site would also be subject to regulation by the Chairman of the Naval Nuclear Regulatory Panel who follows the principles laid down in the Nuclear Reactors (Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning) Regulations 1999. With regard to radioactive waste management, both regulation and policy are devolved and, as such, are matters for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Scottish Executive respectively. Planning consents are similarly devolved.

Low-Flying

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his policy is in respect to low-flying RAF aircraft over tourism-dependent towns in coastal areas;
	(2)  whether the RAF training sorties are instructed to avoid coastlines.

Ivor Caplin: RAF Flying training sorties are not instructed to avoid coastlines as flying in such areas can be considered a normal part of training. However, in order to reduce the danger of bird strikes from concentrations of seabirds or waterfowl, pilots are advised as a general rule to cross coastlines obliquely, and at a minimum altitude of 500 feet. In addition they are advised to avoid crossing the coast over resorts and holiday beaches. It is not possible to completely avoid all tourist-dependent towns as to do so would increase the impact of low-flying on other nearby areas.

Rosyth Dockyard

Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the role of Rosyth dockyard in the (a) construction and (b) equipping of the (i) Type 45 and (ii) new aircraft carrier;
	(2)  whether Rosyth dockyard will be (a) the whole ship integration yard for the new aircraft carrier and (b) involved in the block construction of the new aircraft carrier.

Adam Ingram: As the Secretary of State for Defence announced on 30 January, our view at this stage of the assessment process is that the future aircraft carriers should be built by a combination of four UK shipyards. In addition to the Babcock BES facility at Rosyth, we would envisage construction work being carried out by: BAe Systems Naval Ships yard at Govan; Vosper Thornycroft at Portsmouth; and Swan Hunter on Tyneside. The involvement of other United Kingdom shipyards has not, however, been ruled out. No final decisions on the allocation of work—including the construction of blocks and final assembly site—will be made until the Demonstration and Manufacture contract is let in Spring 2004.
	We envisage no involvement for Rosyth dockyard in either the construction or the equipping of the Type 45 Destroyer.

Rosyth Dockyard

Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the role of Rosyth dockyard as a strategic asset for the Naval Fleet.

Adam Ingram: Capacity within United Kingdom industry is kept under review to ensure that the requirements of the Navy for surface warship refit and repair work can be met. Rosyth dockyard has provided a significant element of that capacity for many years, both before and since privatisation, and should continue to do so as we move towards increased competition. In addition, Rosyth dockyard is one of four yards named earlier this year as having the potential for involvement in the construction and assembly of the new future aircraft carriers.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Costs

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost was to her Department for (a) ministerial cars and drivers, (b) taxis, (c) train travel, (d) the use of helicopters, (e) airline tickets and (f) chartered aeroplanes in each year since 1997.

Richard Caborn: With regard to the cost of ministerial cars and drivers and the cost of planes chartered for ministerial travel, the Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (Mr. Nick Matheson) wrote to the hon. Member with the information yesterday, 17 September 2003. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The following table shows Departmental expenditure on travel by (a) taxis and (b) train and air combined. An analysis of expenditure on travel by train and various modes of air travel is not recorded on the Department's accounting system and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the Department's staff handbook and all ministerial travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	
		£
		
			 Financial year Taxis Rail and Air travel  
		
		
			 2002–03(32) 16,109.08 518,549.28 
			 2001–02 20,811.56 433,910.61 
			 2000–01 26,414.81 456,909.51 
			 1999–2000 21,685.66 421,189.86 
			 1998–99 15,890.53 317,802.36 
			 1997–98 12,967.23 289,035.97 
		
	
	(32) Costs shown in 2002–03 are provisional pending finalisation of the Department's annual accounts.

Digital Satellite Television

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to seek to ensure that ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 can continue to be received free of charge by digital satellite television.

Estelle Morris: holding answer 16 September 2003
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to the chief executives of ITV, Channel Four and Five to ask them how they intend to solve this very serious issue. Their responses indicate they are considering various options. We are very closely monitoring their discussions, which I understand are making progress, and while it will not be appropriate to comment on current commercial negotiations, I will place details of their outcome on our website www.digitaltelevision. gov.uk.

Films (North East England)

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial support her Department has given to film making in the North East of England in each of the last five years.

Estelle Morris: The following table shows the level of Government and National Lottery support through the UK Film Council and its predecessors for film in the North East of England in the last five years.
	
		
			  Government funding (£) Lottery (£) Total 
		
		
			 1998–99 (33)764,579 169,467 934,046 
			 1999–2000 (34)778,245 8,400 786,645 
			 2000–01 (35)452,800 0 452,800 
			 2001–02 280,000 323,530 603,530 
			 2002–03 400,000 405,026 805,026 
			 Total   3,582,047 
		
	
	(33) This figure includes £445,800 from the British Film Institute.
	(34) This figure includes £417,405 from the British Film Institute.
	(35) This figure includes £272,274 from the British Film Institute.
	Notes:
	1. In 1998–99 and 1999–2000, the Regional Arts Board (funded by the Arts Council of England) was responsible for supporting filmmaking in the English regions.
	2. Since April 2000, the UK Film Council has been responsible for providing Government and lottery funding to the English regions through its Regional Investment Fund for England Fund. Northern Film and Media, established in October 2002, is the regional screen agency for the North East of England.

Free-to-view Broadcasting

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with broadcasters on the retention of free-to-view broadcasting on digital satellite.

Estelle Morris: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to the chief executives of ITV, Channel Four and Five to ask them how they intend to solve this very serious issue. Their responses indicate they are considering various options. We are very closely monitoring their discussions, which I understand are making progress, and while it will not be appropriate to comment on current commercial negotiations, I will place details of their outcome on our website www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk.

Free-to-view Broadcasting

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with OFCOM on free-to-view broadcasting on digital satellite.

Estelle Morris: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any formal discussions with OFCOM on this matter, as OFCOM has not yet been transferred any relevant functions. But this is a very serious issue which my Department as well as the ITC are monitoring.

Gaming Board

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  whether the Gaming Board has concluded its investigations into the Lottery operations of charities linked to Solutions RMC; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what (a) audits and (b) other checks the Gaming Board carried out between 1996 and 2002 concerning the gaming operations of (i) Breast Cancer Relief, Manchester and (ii) Breast Cancer Research, Scotland.

Richard Caborn: I understand from the Gaming Board for Great Britain that it has completed its investigations into these matters. It intends to cancel their registrations to promote society lotteries under the terms of the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 and to write to the receivers who have been appointed to administer the two charities accordingly.
	The Gaming Board registered Breast Cancer Relief Manchester (BCRM) on 23 March 2000. It received BCRM's audited accounts in 2000 and 2001 and 13 returns relating to individual lotteries. The Gaming Board's inspectors visited BCRM on four occasions between 31 November 2001 and 16 December 2002.
	The Gaming Board registered Breast Cancer Research Scotland (BCRS) on 12 August 1999. It received BCRS's audited accounts in 1999, 2000 and 2001 as well as 17 returns relating to individual lotteries. The Gaming Board's inspectors visited BCRS in February 2003

Libraries

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress she has made towards the goal of putting all libraries online.

Richard Caborn: The £100 million Lottery funded People's Network programme has enabled all but 20 of the libraries in England to be connected to the internet, including all the libraries in my hon. Friend's constituency. This represents well over 3,000 libraries, a very fine achievement. The remaining libraries will go online after refurbishment or technical programmes have been completed. All libraries in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are online.

Microsoft

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid to Microsoft in licensing fees by her Department and its agencies in each of the last three years; and how much has been budgeted for (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

Richard Caborn: This Department paid licensing fees to Microsoft of £17,500 in 2000–01, £9,500 in 2001–02 and £234,000 in 2002–03.
	Future year payments are still under review and no decision has yet been taken on whether to continue with Microsoft or to look at other potential vendors including open source.

Television Advertisements

Alan Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the monitoring of the extent to which television channels increase the volume of transmissions during advertisements; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: holding answer 16 September 2003
	None. Responsibility for advertisements broadcast on television rests with the broadcasters and the organisation which regulates broadcast advertisements—the Independent Television Commission (ITC). The ITC is independent of the Government and responsible for safeguarding the public interest in broadcast television advertising.
	The ITC's licensees are obliged, as a condition of their licences, to comply with the terms of the ITC's Advertising Standards Code which states that advertisements must not be excessively noisy or strident and that studio transmission power must not be increased from normal levels during advertising breaks. Responsibility for monitoring compliance with these terms rests with the licensees.
	In addition, the ITC monitors individual services as necessary. The ITC investigates all complaints of excessive advertising loudness and are able to take action against broadcasters who breach the conditions of the code.
	Under the Communications Act 2003 the Office of Communications (OFCOM) will have similar responsibilities for broadcast advertisements from the end of this year.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Capita

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many local authorities use Capita and their software package Academy;
	(2)  how many local authorities who use Capita and their software package Academy for Housing Benefit have made complaints to the Department.

Chris Pond: I have been asked to reply.
	The seven local authorities who contract out their benefit administration with Capita are Bexley, Blackburn with Darwen, East Cambridgeshire, Havant, Mendip, West Devon and Westminster. A further 65 local authorities have stated that they use Capita's Academy software package.
	We have received no complaints from local authorities using Capita or their Academy software. Local authorities have complete autonomy to select and contract with the provider of their choice.

Civil Service

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many jobs under the remit of his Department in (a) the core Department, (b) non-departmental public bodies, (c) executive agencies and (d) independent statutory bodies, organisations and bodies financially sponsored by his Department and other such organisations, are located in (i) Scotland, (ii) each region in England, (iii) Wales, (iv) Northern Ireland and (v) overseas, broken down by (A) whole-time equivalent jobs and (B) the percentage per individual department, body or organisation.

Yvette Cooper: In response to parts (a) and (c), I refer the hon. Member to Table D of the annual publication "Civil Service Statistics", which covers permanent staff numbers (FTE basis) for each Government Department and their respective executive agencies. Table D shows civil servants by regional distribution.
	Copies of the publication are available in the Libraries of the Houses. The last edition, based on April 2001 data, was published in June 2002. The next edition, based on April 2002 data, was published on 24 July 2003.
	Alternatively, this information is available at the following address on the Cabinet Office Statistics website: http://www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics/css.htm.
	In response to part (b) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Executive NDPBs.
	
		Audit Commission for local authorities and the NHS in England and Wales
		
			 Government Office region Whole-time equivalents Percentage 
		
		
			 London 593 23.3 
			 South East 270 10.6 
			 South West 378 14.9 
			 West Midlands 189 7.4 
			 East Midlands 145 5.7 
			 Eastern 144 5.7 
			 North East 105 4.1 
			 North West 279 11 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 249 9.8 
			 Wales 192 7.5 
			 Total 2,544 — 
		
	
	Castle Vale Housing Action Trust
	79 posts all in West Midlands Region
	
		English Partnerships
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 London 86 19.6 
			 South East 146 33.3 
			 North East 78 17.8 
			 North West 112 25.5 
			 West Midlands 17 3.9 
			 Total 439 — 
		
	
	
		Housing Corporation
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 East Midlands 58.26 10.2 
			 London 324.95 57.1 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 41.16 7.2 
			 North West 61.10 10.7 
			 South West 42.74 7.5 
			 West Midlands 40.74 7.2 
			 Total 568.9 — 
		
	
	Liverpool Housing Action Trust
	79 posts all based in North-West Region
	Standards Board for England
	96 posts based in London (96 per cent.), 4 people based in Yorkshire and Humberside—4 per cent.
	Stonebridge Housing Action Trust
	74 posts all based in London Region
	Tower Hamlets Housing Action Trust
	12 posts all based in London Region
	In response to part (d) independent statutory bodies, organisations and bodies financially sponsored by Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
	Residential Property Tribunal Service
	83 whole time equivalents (a regional breakdown is problematic as the Rent Assessment Panel areas do not correspond with the Government Office regions)
	
		Valuation Tribunals
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 East 18 12 
			 East Midlands 11 7 
			 London 25 17 
			 North East 10 7 
			 North West 21 14 
			 South East 17 12 
			 South West 16.5 11 
			 West Midlands 17 11 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 13 9 
			 Total 148.5 — 
		
	
	Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England
	15 posts, all full-time and all based in London
	Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Wales
	3.6 whole-time equivalent posts and all based in Wales
	
		Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's other financially sponsored bodies
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Groundwork   
			 East of England 23 1.2 
			 East Midlands 257 13.5 
			 London 128 6.7 
			 North East 101 5.3 
			 North West 535 28.1 
			 South East 99 5.2 
			 South West 55 2.9 
			 West Midlands 318 16.7 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 253 13.3 
			 (i) Wales 98 5.7 
			 (ii) Northern Ireland 22 1.1 
			 Total 1,899 99.7 
		
	
	Note:
	The figures are for headcount not whole-time equivalent jobs
	LEASE (The Leasehold Advisory Service)
	12 whole time equivalent posts all based in London

Climate Change

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on climate change talks he has had since January 2003.

Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister discusses a wide range of issues, including climate change, in meeting foreign visitors, colleagues and others.

Election Costs

Peter Duncan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much it cost to run the European elections in Scotland in 1999.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply 
	as the conduct and funding of parliamentary elections in Scotland is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Scotland. The estimated cost of the European parliamentary election in Scotland in 1999 was £6.7 million.

Fire Service

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon), 30 June 2003, Official Report, column 33W, whether his statement that there will be no reduction in response to 999 calls as a result of modernisation of the Fire Service applies to all fire brigades.

Nick Raynsford: The statement made by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister applies to all fire brigades.

Housing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of people in housing need and accepted as such by their local housing authority in each London borough.

Keith Hill: Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their waiting lists (excluding tenants awaiting a transfer) as at 1 April on their Annual Housing Investment Programme returns. Their activities under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002) are reported on their quarterly PIE housing returns to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The latest available information reported by London boroughs is in the table.
	
		
			 London boroughs Households on the Housing Register1 April 2002 Statutorily homeless households—number accepted as eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need April to June 2003 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,668 155 
			 Barnet 7,030 301 
			 Bexley 3,487 104 
			 Brent 14,746 304 
			 Bromley 3,592 236 
			 Camden 8,147 331 
			 City of London 623 10 
			 Croydon 6,890 261 
			 Ealing 8,289 348 
			 Enfield 7,264 318 
			 Greenwich 6,876 (36)— 
			 Hackney 8,930 (36)— 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6,044 (36)— 
			 Haringey 12,585 (36)— 
			 Harrow 3,992 85 
			 Havering 1,888 (36)— 
			 Hillingdon 6,041 216 
			 Hounslow 6,369 179 
			 Islington 8.161 (36)— 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 8,294 127 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,971 95 
			 Lambeth 14,228 364 
			 Lewisham 15,368 368 
			 Merton 4,361 54 
			 Newham 13,942 417 
			 Redbridge 5,671 203 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,763 92 
			 Southwark 6,164 425 
			 Sutton 1,653 81 
			 Tower Hamlets 7,837 438 
			 Waltham Forest 10,283 300 
			 Wandsworth 3,923 241 
			 Westminster 3,709 316 
		
	
	(36) Data not reported.
	Notes
	As local authorities have different practices for compiling and managing housing registers/waiting lists, direct comparisons between authorities can be misleading.
	Sources
	ODPM: Housing Investment Programme (HIP) annual returns
	ODPM: P1E housing activity quarterly returns

Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 15 September 2003, ref 129308, when he expects to allocate funds to Colchester's Arms Length Management Organisation; and how much will be allocated.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will confirm the funding for Colchester's Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) once the Housing Inspectorate notifies us that it has awarded the ALMO at least a 2* (good) rating. The inspection is currently planned to begin in February 2004. The conditional allocation for 2003–05 is £13.44 million.

Housing

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the local authorities which are six months or more behind paying Housing Benefit; and how many local authorities who are six months or more behind payment use Capita and their software package Academy.

Chris Pond: I have been asked to reply.
	We collect average processing times, by local authority, for Housing Benefit claims. The data provided by local authorities for the year ended 31 March 2003, and published on the our Housing Benefit website, www.dwp.gov.uk/housing benefit, show that on average no local authority took longer than six months to process new claims.
	Average processing times for local authorities whose Housing Benefit administration is contracted out to Capita and who use Academy software, range from 26 days to 131 days. Actual clearance times for individual cases within the average are not collected centrally.

Local Rates

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what legal responsibilities local authorities have for new build houses with respect to maintaining (a) drains, (b) play areas that are incomplete and (c) roads which are unfinished.

Keith Hill: When granting planning permission local authorities may impose conditions to secure the completion of elements of the development. Both the imposition of conditions and their subsequent enforcement if not implemented is at the discretion of the local authority. Any decision to assume responsibility for streets which are not maintainable at public expense is entirely a matter for the relevant local highway authority. The sewers that serve developments are normally adopted by means of an agreement under section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991. After an acceptance period the sewers will be maintained by the sewerage undertaker. Drains to groups of houses may not be adopted, but the extent of such systems has been limited to 10 connections under a protocol produced jointly by Government, the water industry and house builders in March 2002. The protocol should limit the extent of drainage systems that are maintained by householders.

Postal Ballots

Peter Duncan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average voter participation rate was in the areas where a postal ballot was (a) held and (b) not held in local elections.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Electoral Commission published their evaluation of the 2003 local electoral pilots on 31 July. According to their report, the average voter turnout across all local elections in 2003, including results from elections held on a pilot basis, was 34.9 per cent. The average turnout at elections where all-postal voting pilots were held was 49.4 per cent.

Postal Ballots

Peter Duncan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many trial postal ballots have been conducted in local elections; where they were held; and how much each one cost.

Phil Hope: Sixty-eight all-postal elections have been held since May 2000.
	In the May 2000 local elections, seven all-postal ballots were held in Bolton, Doncaster, Gateshead, Norwich, Stevenage and Swindon.
	In the May 2002 local and mayoral elections, 13 all-postal ballots were held in Chorley, Crawley, Gateshead, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Middlesbrough, North Tyneside, North West Leicestershire, Preston, South Tyneside, Stevenage and Trafford.
	In the May 2003 local elections, 33 all-postal ballots were held in Blackpool, Blyth Valley, Bolton, Brighton and Hove, Chesterfield, Copeland, Corby, Darlington, Doncaster, East Staffordshire, Gateshead, Guildford, Herefordshire, Hyndburn, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Lincoln, Newcastle, North Lincolnshire, North Shropshire, Redcar and Cleveland, Rotherham, Rushcliffe, Salford, Sedgefield, St. Edmundsbury, St Helens, Stevenage, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Trafford, Telford and Wrekin, Wansbeck and Derwentside, Chester-le-Street and Wear Valley who held a joint pilot.
	In addition, Hackney and Stoke-on-Trent held all-postal ballots in their mayoral elections in October 2002, whilst all-postal ballots took place in 13 local authority by-elections during this period. These were: Aberdeenshire, Caldicot, Doncaster, Durham, Eden, Hackney, Kerrier, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Newcastle, Stirling, Telford and Wrekin, Trafford and West Wiltshire.
	No central funding has been given to authorities conducting all-postal ballots.

Travellers/Gypsies

Andrew Selous: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the definition is of (a) a traveller and (b) a gypsy as far as planning law is concerned.

Yvette Cooper: For the purpose of planning, a gypsy is a person of nomadic habit of life, whatever their race or origin, who wanders or travels for the purpose of making or seeking their livelihood. Members of other groups who do not meet these criteria are not treated as gypsies for planning purposes. For the purposes of planning law, there is no definition of traveller.

Water Supplies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the impact on the future level of water supply in the South East of the projected increased numbers of houses to be built; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: The South East Regional Assembly is responsible for regional planning for the South East and as such is working with the Environment Agency and also water companies on the impact of future development on both water supply and water quality.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister understands that the Environment Agency is currently assessing the business plans of water companies in the region and will be providing advice to the Assembly on investment requirements and impact on future development in due course.

SCOTLAND

Boundary Commission

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to change the remit of the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

Anne McGuire: The proposed legislation to retain the present number of MSPs will require to include provisions on the review by the Boundary Commission of the Scottish Parliament constituencies and regional boundaries.

Departmental Staff

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many departmental staff are not based in Dover House; and where they are located.

Anne McGuire: At 18 September, 47 staff were in post in Edinburgh (including 28 staff of the Office of the Advocate General) and 29 staff were in post in Glasgow.

Ministerial Visits

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the (a) foreign and (b) UK visits he has made since 1 April; what the cost was to public funds of each trip; who he met; and what gifts were received

Anne McGuire: The Government publish the overall costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits overseas by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 on an annual basis. The list for the period 1 April 2002 to March 2003 was published by my right. hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 16 July 2003, Official Report, column 327W. The next list for the period 1 April 2003 to March 2004 will be published at the end of the financial year.
	In respect of gifts received, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 March 2003, Official Report, column 482W.
	The information on UK travel is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

National Lottery

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to discuss the allocation of lottery funds to Scotland.

Alistair Darling: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues affecting Scotland.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003 (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost.

Anne McGuire: Between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003, one of the special advisers in the Department travelled abroad on one occasion, at a cost of £1,000.40. This was to Madrid and Segovia to accompany the Secretary of State at an intergovernmental conference on 'European enlargement, decentralisation and institutional reform' and at bilateral meetings with Spanish Government and regional Government Ministers.
	All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code, and the Civil Service Management Code.

TREASURY

Capital Gains Tax

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the yield of Capital Gains Tax in each year from 1990–91 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The yield from Capital Gains Tax on a receipts basis, from 1990–91 to 2001–02 is published in IRS 2002 on the Inland Revenue website in Table 1.2. The link to this table is: http://www. inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/tax receipts/g t02 1.pdf
	Estimates of Capital Gains Tax on a receipts basis, for 2002–03 and 2003–04 are published in Table C8 in the Budget Report 2003. Figures for later years are not available.

Customs and Excise

Candy Atherton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many (a) unauthorised persons, (b) illegal imports of cigarettes, (c) illegal imports of alcohol, (d) illegal imports of prohibited drugs and (e) illegal imports of meat were seized in each of the last five years by customs teams based in (i) Cornwall, (ii) Devon and (iii) Dorset;
	(2)  what drugs were seized from yachts in the South West in the last five years; and whether each seizure was made by (a) static officers by routine inspection in each of the last five years and (b) officers acting on received intelligence.

John Healey: HM Customs and Excise has made four drugs seizures in the last five years from all types of non-commercial vessels in the area covering the Bristol Channel to the Isle of Wight including the Scilly Isles and the South West approaches, totalling 400 kilos of cocaine and 10 tonnes of cannabis.
	The intended landing points may have been elsewhere in the UK.
	Customs use intelligence information and targeted risk-profiling techniques to help determine how and when to deploy resources. Experience demonstrates that this flexible approach allows Customs to deploy in larger numbers, less predictably and with greater impact anywhere in the UK.
	In accordance with exemption 4 (law enforcement and legal proceedings) of the Open Government Code Customs do not normally reveal whether or not they were acting on received intelligence in individual cases. Customs do not keep information on seizures delineated by county boundaries.

Personal Income Tax Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the cost of raising the personal income tax allowance to (a) £5,000, (b) £6,000, (c) £7,000 and (d) £7,500 per year; how many people would cease to pay income tax as a consequence; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The full-year cost of making these tax changes in 2003–04 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Raising the under 65personal income taxallowance in 2003–04 to Cost (£ billion) Number of people cease to pay income tax (thousand) 
		
		
			  
			  
			 (a) £5,000 per year 2.4 500 
			 (b) £6,000 per year 8.3 1,800  
			 (c) £7,000 per year 13.9 3,000 
			 (d) £7,500 per year 16.6 3,500 
		
	
	These estimates exclude any behavioural response to the tax change and are based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and consistent with Budget 2003.

Personal Income Tax Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the cost of raising the personal income tax allowance to £10,000 per year for people aged 65 years and over; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated full-year cost of raising the personal income tax allowance to £10,000 per year for those age 65–74 and 75 plus in 2003–04 is £2 billion.
	This estimate excludes any behavioural response to the tax change and is based upon the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and consistent with Budget 2003.

Road Fuels

Gillian Shephard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will quantify in pence per litre the value given to each of the main (a) environmental and (b) other benefits of road fuel gases which make up the rebate applied to such fuels.

John Healey: I refer the right hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 8 September 2003, Official Report, column 102W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Blizzard).

Savings Income

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the cost of abolishing income tax on (a) all savings income and (b) all savings income up to the start of the higher rate threshold; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the cost of abolishing the existing capital gains tax and savings tax regimes, and taxing capital gains and savings as income under the existing income tax regime; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The current tax yield from taxation of interest on savings in 2003–04 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 The current tax yield in 2003–04 from taxation £ billion 
		
		
			  
			  
			 (a) All savings income 2.5 
			 (b) All savings income up to the start of the higher rate threshold 1.4 
		
	
	Note:
	This estimate is based the 2000–01 Survey of Personal Incomes and consistent with Budget 2003.
	This yield would be lost if no tax was charged, but we are not able to provide the full cost of such a change as other behavioural effects will substantially distort the impact on costs of such a move.

Departmental Annual Report

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what procedures are used by his Department to brief officials appearing before select committees;
	(2)  if he will make a statement about the production of his Department's Annual Report;
	(3)  what accounting standards his Department used in producing the 2003 HM Treasury Annual Report;
	(4)  whether he plans to use an external auditor to audit the Treasury's Annual Report.

John Healey: The Treasury's annual report sets out the performance of the department against its Public Service Agreement targets. It includes the same standard information as all departmental reports.
	As with all departments, the financial data for previous years contained in the report are based on the Treasury's accounts, which are prepared in accordance with United Kingdom generally accepted accounting principles (UK GAAP), modified as necessary for the public sector following advice from the independent Financial Reporting Advisory Board (FRAB). These requirements are reflected in the resource accounting manual (RAM) (available at www.resource-accounting.gov.uk).
	The Treasury's accounts are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Accounts for the financial year 2002–03 (HC 999) were laid before Parliament on 16 July, and are available on the Department's website.
	The financial data for future years are based on the agreed departmental expenditure limit for the department, and compiled using the same accounting treatment.
	Briefing for officials appearing before select committees is provided by a range of people across the Department.

Tax/NIC (South Gloucestershire)

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount of (a) income tax and (b) national insurance contributions paid by South Gloucestershire residents in the latest year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: South Gloucestershire residents paid an average of about £3,300 in income tax in 2000–01.
	Data on National Insurance contribution paid in this area are not available.

Transport Infrastructure

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken actively to manage demand for transport infrastructure through tax increases.

John Healey: The Chancellor decides taxation policy after considering all relevant economic, social and environmental factors, including the implications for demand for transport infrastructure.

VAT (Church Repairs)

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on his proposal to reduce VAT on church repairs to 5 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government are particularly concerned about the position of listed places of worship. That is why we asked the European Commission to bring forward proposals to extend the categories of permitted reduced VAT rates to include their repair, maintenance and improvement.
	We are continuing to press this case during the current EU review of VAT reduced rates and have, in the meantime, introduced the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme to provide an equivalent reduction in the cost of these repair projects.

Vehicle Excise Duty

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of differential rates of vehicle excise duty on promoting the manufacture and sale of vehicles with improved pollution characteristics; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government have introduced a range of measures to encourage the use of cleaner vehicles and technologies, including graduated vehicle excise duty, vehicle labelling and graduated company car tax.
	The effectiveness of all these policies are being evaluated including an assessment of graduated VED by the Department of Transport and the results will inform future policy advice.

HEALTH

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward amendments to legislation to allow registered midwives to (a) sell or supply and (b) administer a range of medicines in the course of their professional practice, with particular reference to the provision of compression hosiery for pregnant women considered at particular risk of deep vein thrombosis.

John Hutton: There are already provisions under medicines legislation which allow registered midwives to sell or supply and administer a range of medicines in the course of their professional practice. Midwives can also supply certain non-medicinal products including compression hosiery for varicosis during pregnancy at national health service expense.

Departmental Agencies

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the need for each departmental agency.

John Hutton: The Department conducts reviews of its executive agencies in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, amended following the 2002 Agency Policy review. It has merged the Medical Devices Agency and Medicines Control Agency to form the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. There are no current plans to change the role of the three remaining agencies but they will be reviewed as the Department's strategic needs are reassessed.

ADHD

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what benefits are available to individuals and their families, following a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder in children. In Great Britain, a child with this disorder may be entitled to disability living allowance if the symptoms impair the child's normal functioning to the extent that they amount to a severe disability and the normal entitlement conditions 1 are met. The additional benefits which, subject to the normal entitlement conditions, are available to families in Great Britain with disabled children who qualify for disability living allowance are shown in the table. The Family Fund Trust, which is funded by government, also provides grants to families of severely disabled children in order to ease the stress of their day-to-day life.
	
		Benefits available to families in Great Britain with children who qualify for disability living allowance
		
			 Disability living allowance component and rate Additional benefits available 
		
		
			 Care component (all rates) and mobility component (all rates) Disabled child premium in income related benefits(38), or the disability element of child tax credit 
			 Highest rate care component Enhanced disability premium and the disabled child premium in income related benefits, or the disability element and severe disability element of child tax credit. 
			 Highest or middle rate care component Carer's allowance(39) 
			 Higher rate mobility component Access to the Motability, "Blue Badge" and Vehicle Excise Duty Exemption schemes 
		
	
	(37) Entitlement to disability living allowance depends on the effects that a severe physical or mental disability have on a person's need for personal care and/or their ability to walk. It is the overall picture of need in the individual case, rather than the specific diagnosis that is important. Children under 16 years of age with a severe disability can qualify for any rate of the the care component arid the lower rate mobility component of disability living allowance if they are so severely disabled that their need for attention, supervision or watching over by another person is substantially in excess of that normally required by children of their age. Those who qualify for the highest rate of the care component may also qualify for the higher rate of the mobility component if they exhibit extreme and unpredictable disruptive behaviour as the result of arrested or incomplete development of the brain.
	(38) Income support, jobseeker's allowance (income related), housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	(39) Entitlement to carer's allowance can also give entitlement to the carer premium in income related benefits.
	The benefits available to individuals and their families in Northern Ireland, following a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Budgets

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (a) how many staff are employed and (b) what the total budget in 2003–04 is for the (i) Commission for Health Improvement, (ii) National Institute for Clinical Excellence, (iii) Food Standards Agency, (iv) National Care Standards Commission, (v) General Social Care Council and (vi) Health and Safety Executive.

John Hutton: The Health and Safety Executive is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions. The other information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Body Numberof staff Total budget for 2003–04 (£ million) 
		
		
			 Commission for Health Improvement 347 35 
			 National Institute for Clinical Excellence 43 17.8 
			 Foods Standards Agency 738 119 
			 Meat Hygiene Service 1,597 28 
			 National Care Standards Commission 2,400 133.3 
			 General Social Care Council 115 52.6 
		
	
	Notes:
	(i) The staff numbers are the latest available figures expressed as whole-time equivalents.
	(ii) The Total Budgets shown are estimated plan forecasts.
	(iii) The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a non-Ministerial Department, governed by a Board, and accountable to Parliament and the devolved administrations through Health Ministers. The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) is an executive agency of FSA.)
	(iv) The total budget of the FSA includes £8.277 million from the devolved administrations and payments to the MHS in respect of specified risk material (SRM)
	(v) FSA staff figures are on a UK basis and include all workers (eg temporary contract workers).

Cancelled Operations

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled in NHS hospitals in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled for non-clinical reasons in each of the last six years.

John Hutton: Quarterly data are collected on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons (i) at the last minute (i.e. on the day patients are due to arrive, or after arrival in hospital, or on the day of their operation), and (ii) the number of patients not admitted within 28 days of a 'last minute' cancellation as part of the NHS Plan cancelled operations guarantee.
	Cancelled operations data at England level and at national health service trust and strategic health authority level are available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data requests.htm

Departmental Computer Security

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been (a) budgeted and (b) spent by his Department since April 2002 on combating (i) computer fraud, (ii) preventing theft of computers and (iii) safeguarding the security information held on computer; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The Department of Health does not have specific financial budgets for combating computer fraud, computer theft or protecting its information. These areas are subsumed within a wide variety of other budgets. Responsibility, from 1 April 2002 to 1 April 2003, for countering fraud and corruption in all its forms within the Department of Health fell to the National Health Service Counter Fraud Service. From 1 April 2003 this responsibility was transferred to a newly formed special health authority, the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service.
	The Department of Health takes the protection of its computers and information systems very seriously and complies with Her Majesty's Government's Manual of Protective Security. Security measures are kept constantly under review and the Department employs a dedicated and professional security unit as part of this commitment. The Department's information technology network achieved compliance with the British Standard 7799 which covers best practice for information security management at the end of 2002. In 2002 the Department of Health awarded a new service support contract to Computer Sciences Corporation and their security expertise was significant in them winning this bid.

Diagnostic and Treatment Centres

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the organisations which (a) have been awarded and (b) are being considered for franchises for operating private diagnosis and treatment centres, indicating the location of each centre.

John Hutton: holding answer 15 September 2003
	The Department of Health announced the shortlist of preferred bidders on 12 September 2003 that will provide new treatment centres to contribute to the Government's drive to cut waiting times for patients. The 26 areas covered by the new scheme along with the shortlist of companies is set as listed. These include two mobile units, which will deliver services to patients in towns across England. All likely preferred bidders are subject to final contract negotiation and agreement and schemes will only proceed if they provide the required level of value for money for national health service commissioners. This represents about two thirds of the total programme. Further announcements will be made in due course.
	The treatment centres will be based at the following locations:
	South West Peninsula (Mercury Health Ltd.)
	Lincolnshire (Mercury Health Ltd.)
	Horton Hospital, North Oxford (Mercury Health Ltd.)
	North East Yorks (Mercury Health Ltd.)
	Southampton (Mercury Health Ltd.)
	Northumberland (Mercury Health Ltd.)
	East Berkshire (1. Slough 2. Bracknell 3. Maidenhead and 4. Windsor/Ascot) (Mercury Health Ltd.)
	Didcot, Oxfordshire (Mercury Health Ltd.)
	Ashford, Surrey (Mercury Health Ltd.)
	Maidstone (Care UK Afrox)
	Barlborough Links, Nottinghamshire (Care UK Afrox)
	Derriford, Plymouth (Care UK Afrox)
	Chase Farm, Barnet, London (Anglo Canadian)
	King George Hospital, Redbridge (Anglo Canadian)
	Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital, Kings Cross (Anglo Canadian)
	Bradford (Nations Healthcare)
	Burton (Nations Healthcare)
	Daventry (Birkdale Clinic)
	Trafford, Greater Manchester (Netcare UK)
	Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore (New York Presbyterian)
	Shepton Mallet, Somerset (New York Presbyterian).
	There will be two mobile units offering ophthalmology services in the following areas:
	Cheshire and Merseyside (Netcare UK)
	Cumbria and Lancashire (Netcare UK)
	Horton, Oxfordshire (Netcare UK)
	Wycombe, Bucks (Netcare UK)
	North Tyneside (Netcare UK)
	South West Oxfordshire (Netcare UK)
	North West Peninsula (Netcare UK)
	Dorset/Somerset (Netcare UK)
	Kent/Medway (Netcare UK)
	Hants and Isle of Wight (Netcare UK)
	Surrey and Sussex (Netcare UK)
	Thames Valley (Netcare UK)
	The preferred bidders to run the schemes are:
	Netcare UK (South Africa)
	Mercury Health Ltd (UK)
	Care UK Afrox (South Africa)
	Anglo Canadian (Canada)
	Nations Healthcare (USA)
	Birkdale Clinic (UK)
	New York Presbyterian (USA).

Disability Legislation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce legislation on disability; what representations he has received over the need for such legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	On 1 July, Parliament approved Regulations which will make significant changes to the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act. Ending various employment and occupational exemptions will bring within scope of the Act over one million additional employers and around seven million jobs, in which 600,000 disabled people already work. These Regulations implement the main employment recommendations of the Disability Rights Task Force that were supported by the Government in our document "Towards Inclusion". As we have said, we shall be laying further Regulations in due course—such as on occupational pensions—which will make further changes to the DDA's employment provisions. All these regulations will come into force in October 2004.
	Later this year we will publish a draft Disability Bill which will contain proposals on other measures recommended by the Task Force and outlined in "Towards Inclusion", such as changes to the DDA affecting the public sector, transport and premises, some widening of the definition of disability and covering membership of larger private clubs.
	We intend that the draft Bill should undergo pre-legislative scrutiny. We continue to receive a wide range of representations from disability organisations, business, trade unions, employers, disabled people and others on civil rights legislation for disabled people.

Health Conferences

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of sending (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants to health conferences in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas in each of the last five years.

John Hutton: Information is not available in the form requested.

Health Vacancies

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for (a) nurses, (b) doctors and consultants and (c) radiographers and other technical positions, broken down by NHS trust.

John Hutton: The national health service vacancy survey collects information on the number of posts which trusts are actively trying to fill which have been vacant for three months or more. The available information has been placed in the Library.

Hip Replacements

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England with hip replacements had to undergo a hip revision within (a) three years, (b) five years and (c) 10 years in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: The Department is unable to provide this information, as the Hospital Episode Statistics data do not identify individual patients.
	In 2000, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence published guidance on the selection of prosthesis and set a benchmark that no more than 10 per cent. of patients should require revision surgery within 10 years, or evidence from at least three years follow up which when extrapolated, implies an equivalent performance.
	The Department established a National Joint Registry (NJR) for total hip and knee replacements in April 2003. This collects data on hip and knee replacements carried out in the national health service and private sector in England and Wales. The NJR will look at the performance of hip and knee implants, and will over time be able to provide this information.

Hospital Bed Occupancy

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the average bed occupancy rate, as a percentage, for each NHS hospital trust in England from April 2001 to April 2003.

John Hutton: Data on average bed occupancy rates are available on an annual basis, at national health service trust level and for England, for the years 2000–01 to 2001–02 on the Department of Health's website at: www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data requests/beds open overnight.htm
	Data for 2002–03 are not yet available.
	The latest available statistics for 2001–02 show that the number of general and acute beds increased by over 1,500 to 136,583 over the previous two years. This represents over two thirds of the target set out in the NHS Plan.

Hospital Cleanliness

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation he has undertaken into the efficiency of the league tables for hospital cleanliness; and what plans he has to amend them.

John Hutton: The patient environment action team programme, and the resulting 'traffic light' ratings awarded to hospitals, have been significant factors in improving the environmental conditions, including standards of cleanliness, in hospitals.
	Since the introduction of the system the number of 'Green' hospitals has increased from 22 per cent. to 78 per cent. (2000–2003) while the number being assessed as 'Red' has fallen from 36 per cent. to zero over the same period.
	There are no plans at present to change the system.

Medicines and Healthcare ProductsRegulatory Agency

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the role of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in negotiations with the European Commission on the proposed Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive.

Melanie Johnson: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and, before April 2003, the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) represented the UK Government in the negotiations on the proposed Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products that have taken place in the Council of Ministers Working Group in 2002 and 2003 under the chairmanship of successive European Union Presidencies. Before the publication in 2002 of the European Commission's formal proposals for a Directive the MCA had a range of discussions with the European Commission and representatives of other Member States, predominantly in the European Pharmaceutical Committee and an expert group set up by that Committee, about the emerging proposals.
	During this period the MCA and later the MHRA has held discussions on a number of occasions with the UK herbal sector about issues and priorities to be pursued in the negotiations, notably the case for flexibility to take greater account of evidence of traditional use from outside the EU and to permit vitamins and minerals to be added to traditional herbal remedies registered under the proposed Directive.

Mixed-sex Hospital Wards

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to end all use of mixed sex wards.

John Hutton: The Department of Health has set three objectives to support the elimination of mixed sex accommodation. A small number of hospitals have yet to achieve these objectives on every ward. This is because a number of new hospitals and healthcare facilities are currently in construction, which will upon completion bring all wards to the required standards.
	Guidance issued to national health service trusts on the achievement of the objectives made it clear that a variety of ward layouts and designs could be used to deliver separate sleeping accommodation, including the use of single-sex wards, or combinations of single-sex bays and individual rooms. Single-sex bays, together with increasing numbers of single rooms, are common features of modern hospital design both here and abroad, and can provide perfectly acceptable levels of privacy and dignity.

NHS Charges

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) items and (b) procedures in the NHS for which charges are made.

John Hutton: Treatment provided by the national health service is free at the point of delivery except in cases where specific legislation has been passed allowing a charge to be made. The current items and services for which a charge can be made are:
	prescriptions;
	dental services;
	the supply of optical appliances by the hospital eye service;
	treatment of private patients;
	treatment of overseas visitors;
	appliances such as wigs and fabric supports.
	The NHS can also charge for the provision of accommodation and services for private resident and non-resident patients.
	In addition to the above, NHS hospitals can charge for certain patient services using income generation powers. However a charge can only be made where the service is considered to be additional treatment over and above the normal service provision. Any item or service that is considered to be an integral part of a patient's treatment by their clinician remains free of charge.

NHS IT Programme

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the McKinsey report on the national IT programme for the NHS made an assessment of the total cost of the programme.

John Hutton: holding answer 11 September 2003
	The report in question was commissioned to help inform planning for the National Programme for Information Technology in the National Health Service. It did not attempt to assess the cost of the national programme, funding for which was announced in January 2003.

Pain Relief

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what management and assessment services and facilities are available to those suffering from persistent pain.

John Hutton: It remains the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission services for people with pain, taking account of the resources they have available and the needs of their wider populations. The Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG) report on pain services, published in April 2000, highlighted variations in access to pain services throughout the country. It made recommendations to national hospital service acute trusts and commissioners on how pain services should be delivered in order to reduce variations to access.
	It recommended that PCT commissioners should review local provision of pain services, looking particularly at the provision of more specialised treatments on a networked basis. In this review, account should be taken of the needs of both adults and children, and include patients with acute pain resulting from sudden illness or accident, as well as post-operative pain and chronic pain. Trusts should also agree with commissioners the services and resources which are appropriate to meet local needs.
	The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been reviewing pain management techniques as part of the Supportive and Palliative Care Guidance. This provides a clearer idea of what therapies are effective and areas where further work is needed. Part A of the guidance is available in draft on the NICE website at http://www.nice.org.uk/.

Hospital Security

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are under (a) police guard and (b) armed police guard in (i) NHS and (ii) private hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: This information is not routinely collected centrally.

Public Health Laboratory Service

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the Public Health Laboratory Service laboratories that (a) will transfer and (b) have transferred to NHS trusts, broken down by (i) trust, (ii) date of transfer, (iii) current running cost and (iv) staffing complement.

Melanie Johnson: The running costs and staffing numbers for the laboratories transferred to the national health service are shown in the following table. All the laboratory transfers were completed on or before 1 April 2003.
	
		
			 Laboratory NHS Trust 2002–03 budget (£) Staff complement (WTE)(40) 
		
		
			 Ashford East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust 2,799,466 62.69 
			 Brighton Brighton and Sussex University NHS Trust 1,868,306 42.44 
			 Carlisle North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 1,251,210 30.43 
			 Chelmsford Mid Essex Hospital NHS Trust 1,212,129 37.82 
			 Chester Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Trust 1,728,815 47.67 
			 Central Middlesex North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 1,625,217 30.70 
			 Coventry University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 2,145,805 49.78 
			 Dorchester West Dorset General Hospital NHS Trust 1,134,621 22.99 
			 Exeter Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare NHS Trust 1,979,930 49.29 
			 Gloucester Gloucester Hospitals NHS Trust 1,465,721 45.71 
			 Hereford Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust 975,290 23.73 
			 Hull Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 2,366,917 61.16 
			 Ipswich Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 1,279,748 34.75 
			 Leicester University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust 2,812,959 68.30 
			 Lincoln Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital NHS Trust 998,295 23.59 
			 Liverpool Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust 1,934,072 54.38 
			 Luton Luton and Dunstable NHS Trust 1,229,500 28.89 
			 Middlesbrough South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 1,372,303 36.73 
			 Norwich Norfolk and Norwich University NHS Trust 2,055,942 52.34 
			 Nottingham Nottingham University NHS Trust 3,105,899 80.38 
			 Peterborough Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust 944,533 25.00 
			 Plymouth Plymouth NHS Trust 2,125,294 44.17 
			 Poole Poole Hospital NHS Trust 2,329,965 52.67 
			 Portsmouth Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust 1,984,922 47.01 
			 Preston Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 2,426,407 72.21 
			 Reading Royal Berkshire and Battle NHS Trust 1,644,385 35.94 
			 Salisbury Salisbury Healthcare NHS Trust 842,955 17.32 
			 Sheffield Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 2,354,821 58.60 
			 Shrewsbury Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust 1,775,981 36.47 
			 Stoke North Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust 1,756,098 39.34 
			 Taunton Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust 1,474,244 32.28 
			 Truro Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust 2,182,102 44.80 
		
	
	(40) Whole-time equivalent

Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust

John Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organisations tendered when the present contract for car parking at Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust was awarded; and how long the contract lasts.

John Hutton: Four organisations responded to the tendering exercise for this contract in 1999. The contract length is five years with an option to extend for a further two.

Stem Cell Research

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's letter of 15 January, PO1021981, what action he has taken as a result of the House of Lord's findings in relation to stem cell research and therapeutic cloning; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Government policy in this area of research has evolved following a number of influential reports, the most recent being that of the House of Lords Select Committee in February 2002. All of these reports have stressed the great potential of stem cell research and have concluded that no single source of stem cells should be worked on exclusively. The Government have made available, through the research councils, £40 million over two years for stem cell research, including stem cells derived from embryos, adult tissue, and cord blood.
	The House of Lords confirmed, in its judgement of 13 March 2003, that embryos created by cell nuclear replacement (commonly known as therapeutic cloning) are fully regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Subject to strict criteria, licences for the creation by therapeutic cloning of embryos for research may be granted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Wage Costs

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the wage costs of (a) administration and (b) estates staff within the NHS were in 2002–03.

John Hutton: This information will be available in February 2004.

Waiting Times/Lists

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients in each hospital trust area were waiting for treatment for more than 12 months (a) in 2002–03 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available.

John Hutton: holding answer 16 September 2003
	The table provides the percentage of patients at those trusts showing patients waiting over 12 months at either March or July 2003 or both. For all remaining trusts the percentage of patients waiting over 12 months at both periods was zero.
	
		Patients waiting for elective in-patient admission: Position at month end: England (provider based)
		
			  Percentage of patientswaiting over 12 months 
			 NHS trust/primary care trust March 2003 July 2003 
		
		
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 0.51 0.09 
			 Gloucestershire Hospitals 0.00 0.01 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 0.00 0.03 
			 James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust 0.00 0.03 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 0.00 0.01 
			 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 0.03 0.02 
			 Medway NHS Trust 0.19 0.06 
			 North Bristol NHS Trust 0.01 0.00 
			 North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust 0.12 0.00 
			 Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust 0.00 0.31 
			 South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 0.00 0.12 
			 St. Mary's NHS Trust 0.00 0.02 
			 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust 0.00 0.04 
			 University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust 0.12 0.00 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 7.69 0.00 
			 Weston Area Health NHS Trust 0.18 0.00 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health forms KH07 and Monthly monitoring

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Works

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what the estimated cost is of the work carried out to the Palace of Westminster in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004; and how many workmen (i) are and (ii) have been employed on the Parliamentary Estate in connection therewith.

Archy Kirkwood: The cost to the House of Commons of maintenance and new works on the Parliamentary Estate in the financial year 2002–03 was £29.5 million. For the financial year 2003–04 the forecast cost is £24.2 million and for 2004–05 it is £18.4 million. Due to the many estate-wide services, it is not possible to provide accurate figures for individual buildings or to provide figures by calendar years.During the summer recess of 2002 approximately 1,200 contractors' personnel were employed on site and in the summer of 2003 the number is approximately 1,000.
	The House of Commons Commission can answer only for those parts of the Parliamentary Estate for which this House is responsible.

EDUCATION

Online Centres

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many UK online centres were opened in deprived or rural wards across the north west in 2002–03; and how many centres there are.

Charles Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 July 2003.

Adult Education

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the cost of the guarantee of free tuition to help adults study for a Level 2 qualification in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 17 September 2003
	The new entitlement to free tuition for adults studying for a first full level 2 qualification will be phased in from 2004–05: we expect to introduce the entitlement on a partial basis in academic year 2004–05. Subject to experience in that first year, the entitlement will proceed to roll out nationally from 2005–06. This will enable us to test out the impact on demand. The cost will depend on learner take-up of the entitlement. We have to target a greater proportion of state funding towards priority groups, so those with the greatest need have opportunities to acquire relevant skills and qualifications. Over time, colleges and other providers will need to better focus their resources to support this aim.

Bureaucracy (Universities)

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  when he expects to receive the findings of the Committee chaired by David Van de Linde in relation to bureaucracy in universities; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the work in progress of the Better Regulation Review Group under Professor Van de Linde.

Alan Johnson: Professor Van de Linde has been asked to chair the Better Regulation Review Group, a committee of senior stakeholders from across higher education, to consider the issue of bureaucracy in higher education. The Group first met in March, since when it has been in regular discussions with the Department on regulatory matters, notably the Regulatory Impact Assessment of the White Paper The future of higher education, and aspects of it, such as the development of the Office for Fair Access. An important responsibility of the Group is to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Better Regulation Task Force report Higher education: Easing the burden. I look forward to receiving an interim report on the status of the recommendations from Professor Van de Linde in November.

Learning and Skills Council

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make it his policy to ensure that workers facing redundancy within the Learning and Skills Council are given the opportunity to retrain for other jobs within the organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. John Harwood, the Council's Chief Executive will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Connexions

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many personal advisers Connexions employed, broken down by region, in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 17 September 2003
	The information in the following table shows the number of full time equivalent personal advisers working for the Connexions Service by region in the first years of operation.
	
		The number of full time equivalent personal advisers working for Connexions
		
			  December 2001 December 2002 June 2003 
			  PAs Number of Partnerships PAs Number of Partnerships PAs Number of Partnerships 
		
		
			  
			  
			 England 1,872.4 15 6,086.2 44 7,251.6 47 
			 South East 118.0 1 606.9 5 862.1 6 
			 London 252.2 2 841.7 6 910.3 6 
			 East of England 42.8 1 398.6 5 614.6 6 
			 South West 272.0 2 735.4 6 658.7 6 
			 West Midlands 328.1 3 784.3 5 1,009.5 5 
			 East Midlands 63.4 1 488.2 5 528.0 5 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 300.0 2 800.5 4 898.0 4 
			 North West 495.9 3 1 ,082.8 5 1,220.6 5 
			 North East 118.0 0 347.8 3 549.8 4 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures include those staff directly employed by the Partnerships and those seconded to Connexions from local partner agencies.
	2. In addition to personal advisers, Partnerships also employ other delivery staff whose main role is customer contact in support of the personal adviser role, but who are not qualified to give the in depth advice and guidance expected from a personal adviser. In 2001 there were 438.7 full time equivalent other delivery staff in the 15 Partnerships rising to 2,206.8 in the 42 partnerships in 2002 and 2,456.0 at the end of June 2003.

Connexions

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by how much Connexions services are reducing their support, in terms of personal adviser time, for young people from (a) schools and (b) colleges.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 17 September 2003
	Connexions offers a service to all young people aged 13–19 differentiated on the basis of need. It is not reducing personal adviser time in schools or colleges. There have been significant year-on-year increases in funding since Connexions was introduced in 2001–02. In 2000–01, before the start of Connexions, Careers service and New Start budgets totalled £243 million; in 2001–02, the first year of Connexions, the total budget was £320 million. In 2002–03 this rose to £420 million and in the current year to £455 million.
	One service offered by Connexions is for career guidance to be available to all 13 to 19-year-olds. The Ofsted report "Connexions Partnerships: the first year 2001–2002" found that the implementation of the Connexions Service had maintained, restored and, in some instances, enhanced the provision of Careers Education and Guidance in schools and colleges.

Education Clothing Grant

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the level of education clothing grant given by each local authority in England.

David Miliband: The information you have requested is not collected by this Department.

Foundation Degrees Forward

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a further progress statement on Foundation Degrees Forward; and what the planned publication date for its prospectus is.

Alan Johnson: Foundation Degree Forward (FDF) is in the process of being set up, as a network organisation, with its administrative centre located at the Lichfield Campus jointly owned by Staffordshire University and Tamworth and Lichfield College. Dr. Derek Longhurst has been appointed as the Executive Director. The FDF Management Board will hold its first meeting on October 7 when it will consider a Strategic Plan for 2003–06 and a Business Plan and Operating Statement for 2003–04.

Maintenance Grants

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in sixth form colleges and other education institutions in Hull are eligible for maintenance grants; how many are receiving them; what steps he is taking to ensure that individual students receive such grants; if he will list those institutions whose students qualify; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The latest information available shows that the number of 16 and 17 year olds eligible for Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in Kingston upon Hull LEA at the end of 2000 was around 2,300. This is based on estimates of participation in full time education and the percentage of young people eligible for EMA based on income distribution. In 2002–03 1,960 students received weekly payments of EMA, of which 1,654 students received the maximum allowance.
	Local LEAs are responsible for ensuring young people are aware of EMA. In the pilots eligibility is governed by the local authority area in which the young person lives, so any school with a sixth form, sixth form college or FE college at which an EMA student enrols will "qualify" to operate EMA.
	EMA pilots are currently available in 56 LEA areas and the national scheme will be available from September 2004.

Post-graduate Certificate in Education(Citizenship)

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places have been (a) taken up and (b) available for Post-graduate Certificate in Education Citizenship courses since their introduction; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Since 2001–02, when the citizenship PGCE course was introduced, 332 trainees have taken up places (147 in 2001–02 and 185 in 2002–03).
	The table which shows the number of entrants to training against the number of places for 2001–02 and 2002–03 in England only.
	
		
			  Places Entrants 
		
		
			 2001–02(41) — 147 
			 2002–03 200 185 
			 2003–04(42) 250 — 
		
	
	(41) In 2001–02, there was no separate allocation for citizenship places.
	(42) The number of entrants to Initial Teacher Training in 2003–04 is not yet available.
	Source
	TTA
	In addition to those trainees shown above, in 2002–03 14 trainees started the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) in citizenship.

Safer Schools Partnership Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the Safer Schools Partnership Initiative.

David Miliband: My Department, in partnership with the Home Office and Youth Justice Board, has commissioned an independent evaluation of the first year of the Safer School Partnerships (SSPs) scheme for police officers based in schools. The evaluation report is nearing completion.
	"Streets Ahead", the recently published joint inspectorate report on the Street Crime Initiative, included positive examples of SSPs, with case studies of good practice in London and Manchester. Lessons learned from the first SSPs will be reflected in future guidance and training material.

School Budgets (Buckinghamshire)

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in (a) the Chesham and Amersham constituency and (b) Buckinghamshire have set deficit budgets for the academic year 2003–04.

David Miliband: Figures for balances are collected at the end of each financial year. The latest complete figures are for March 2002, when 7 schools in the Chesham and Amersham constituency and 39 schools in Buckinghamshire as a whole, were in deficit.

School Standards

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) Key Stage 2 pupils and (b) Key Stage 3 pupils reached the required standards in both literacy and numeracy in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The percentages of pupils achieving the expected level in both English and Maths at (a) Key Stage 2 and (b) Key Stage 3 are shown in the following table for all years available since 1997.
	
		Percentage
		
			  (a) Key Stage 2 (b) Key Stage 3 
		
		
			 1997 52 — 
			 1998 51 — 
			 1999 61 — 
			 2000 64 55 
			 2001 64 56 
			 2002 65 57 
			 2003* 66 — 
		
	
	*Provisional

School Standards

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many (a) boys, (b) girls and (c) children from ethnic backgrounds have reached the required standards of (i) English and (ii) mathematics at Key stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of (a) boys and (b) girls from ethnic minority backgrounds have reached the required standards of (i) English and (ii) maths at Key stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority.

David Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

School Standards

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) boys and (b) girls have reached the required standards of (i) English and (ii) mathematics at Key stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority.

David Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
	The tables show, for each local education authority, the number of boys and girls in maintained schools who achieved the expected level in each year from 1997 to 2002.
	The figures shown are based on:
	Pupils achieving level 2 or above at Key Stage 1 in reading and in maths.
	Pupils achieving level 4 or above at Key Stage 2 in English and in maths.
	Pupils achieving level 5 or above at Key Stage 3 in English and in maths.
	Pupils achieving good grades (A*-C) at GCSE in English and in maths.

Secondary Schools (Buckinghamshire)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria will be applied by the adjudicator in relation to catchment areas for secondary schools in Buckinghamshire; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Adjudicator is independent. In considering any objections he will look at them in the context of the law and guidance given in the Code of Practice on School Admissions, and take account of what is in the best interest of all pupils and parents in the area.

Student Loans

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to assist Moslem students with finance, in the event of the student not wishing on religious grounds to take a loan requiring repayment of interest; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The Government are committed to widening access to higher education. We are naturally concerned that some Muslim students from low income families may be missing out on the benefits of higher education because they may not wish to take out a student loan on religious grounds. Student loans are not commercial loans. To make sure that all borrowers pay back the same amount that they borrowed in real terms, the Government uprate the value of what is owed in line with the general rate of inflation.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills met representatives from the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) on 8 July to discuss their concerns, and senior officials from my Department will hold further discussions with FOSIS representatives in the near future.

Student Transport

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking in conjunction with the Learning and Skills Council to co-ordinate the transport requirements of individual students, with particular reference to those with (a) special needs and (b) specialist course requirements.

Alan Johnson: In 2001–02, we commissioned an extensive study by Steer Davis Cleave into transport support for students of 16–19 and in particular, those with disabilities and learning difficulties. In line with the recommendations from this, my Department has revised legislation, via Schedule 19 of the Education Act 2002, and made an additional £39 million of funding available to local education authorities (LEAs) and their partners for the three years from 2003–06. Now LEAs, Learning and Skills Councils (LSCs) and further education colleges are required to work together to produce, publish and deliver local policies to ensure that there are effective transport services and financial support in order that young people can access and complete their further education. These new transport arrangements are currently the subject of independent evaluation.
	This is in addition to the learner support fund, which is £36 million in 2003/04. This is paid to schools and colleges so that they can help students aged 16–19 to meet course related costs, which can include transport. The LSC also provides additional learning support to institutions to help with the extra costs a learner with special needs may require, e.g. for transport between sites and to other off-site activities for learners with mobility difficulties. And the LSC has provided support to education providers through revenue and capital funding to implement the Disability Discrimination Act.
	The Government have announced that from September 2004 education maintenance allowances will be available across England. These will pay a means tested allowance of up to £30 per week (plus bonuses) to young people to provide them with an incentive to stay in learning and to help them with the associated costs, including transport. Students 19 plus
	Learner support funds are the main source of financial support to help students of 19 and over in further education with costs associated with studying, including transport costs. They are allocated via the LSC and used flexibly by colleges to help students facing financial difficulties related to their learning. £96.5 million has been made available for students aged 19 plus for 2003/04.
	Each college is able to set its own policy on how it applies the funds and is required to give priority to students with disabilities, learning difficulties and other socially disadvantaged groups.

University of Bournemouth

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what discussions he has had on the list of invitees to the meeting which he is addressing at the University of Bournemouth in October;
	(2)  if he will attend a meeting with students to discuss top-up fees when he visits the University of Bournemouth in October;
	(3)  if he will publish the list of invitees to the meeting which he proposes to address at the University of Bournemouth in October.

Charles Clarke: I have been invited to visit Bournemouth university which I intend to do in October. The university is responsible for the programme and arrangements.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received about the circumstances of Aung San Suu Kyi and those members and supporters of the National League for Democracy imprisoned after the attack on 30 May on Aung San Suu Kyi's motorcade.

Mike O'Brien: It is unacceptable that Aung San Suu Kyi and other members and supporters of the National League for Democracy (NLD) should ever have been detained by the Burmese regime. As I recently told the Burmese Ambassador to the UK, we hold the Burmese military regime responsible for the wellbeing of Aung San Suu Kyi and we will continue to push for her release and other NLD members and supporters detained since 30 May.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice the Government has issued to British American Tobacco on the future of its cigarette factory in Burma owned jointly with the Burmese Government.

Mike O'Brien: The Government do not encourage UK companies to trade or invest in Burma while the regime continues to suppress the basic human rights of its people. On 2 July I asked British American Tobacco to withdraw their investment from Burma. They are currently considering this request.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what progress has been made to have Burma placed on the UN Security Council agenda; and if he will table proposals for targeted sanctions against Burma through the UK's position as chair of the UNSC;
	(2)  what proposals the Government plans to make to the UN Security Council regarding the political, economic and humanitarian crisis in Burma.

Mike O'Brien: The Government fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy to Burma and the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma to help bring about national reconciliation, respect for human rights and democracy in Burma. This includes raising Burma in the various fora of the UN as and when appropriate.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the governments of the ASEAN nations on formulating a co-ordinated policy to influence the Burmese Government towards democracy and improved human rights.

Mike O'Brien: We take advantage of our regular bilateral and multilateral contacts with all ASEAN nations to discuss Burma related issues, most recently on 23–24 July at the ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting. We welcome the joint Asian and EU Foreign Ministers statement on 24 July calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and democracy in Burma which sent a strong message of EU-Asian unity to the regime. We will remain in regular consultation with ASEAN Governments in the build up to the ASEAN Summit on 7–8 October. We believe that the ASEAN nations have an important role to play in encouraging substantive change in Burma.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what results have followed his decision in June to write to tour operators to ask them not to organise tourism in Burma.

Mike O'Brien: By writing to the Association of British Travel Agents and individual tour operators we have drawn attention to the fact that Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy continue not to encourage tourists to visit Burma in the present circumstances. At least one UK tour operator has since said it will remove Burma from its 2004 Brochure and others are considering whether to withdraw.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held about the closure of the universities in Burma following 30 May.

Mike O'Brien: The UK made numerous representations to the Burmese authorities concerning the closure of universities after 30 May. The universities re-opened on 16 June.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what impact the publication of the road map to democracy and the national convention recently published by the Burmese Prime Minister has had on the Government's advice to British businesses on trading with and investing in Burma.

Mike O'Brien: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear in this House on 25 June, the British Government do not encourage trade with or investment in Burma, while the regime continues to suppress the basic human rights of its people, We offer no support for companies wishing to trade with Burma or for those who want to invest there. Representatives of British companies or their subsidiaries that inquire about the prospects either for trade with or investment in Burma are informed of this policy. The publication of the Burmese road map to democracy does not change this policy. We would want to see substantive dialogue with democratic groups leading to national reconciliation in Burma before considering any change to Government advice.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Burma about the road map to democracy; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I have had no discussions with the Burmese regime about its so called road map to democracy. I call on the Burmese authorities to release Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) immediately and to enter into a substantive and meaningful political dialogue with them.

Burma

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had about the exclusion of the National League for Democracy from the recently announced Burmese national convention.

Mike O'Brien: The UK is active within the EU, UN and with our Asian partners to persuade the Burmese military regime to enter into substantive dialogue with democratic and ethnic minority leaders. Any meaningful democratic process in Burma must include the National League for Democracy.

Conflict Prevention Pools

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  when he expects the independent evaluation of the Global Conflict Prevention Pool to be complete;
	(2)  when he expects the independent evaluation of the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool to be complete.

Bill Rammell: The joint external evaluation of the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool and the Global Conflict Prevention Pool began in June 2003. The results will inform the Spending Review 2004 process and so the aim is for the evaluation to be completed by early 2004.

Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many consultancies were commissioned by his Department in the last two years for which figures are available; and what the cost of those contracts was.

Bill Rammell: The total number of consultancies could be established only at disproportionate cost. Annual expenditure on external consultants is published in the Department's Annual Reports (copies of which are in the Library of the House). It amounted to £17.9 million in 2000–01 and £20.1 million in 2001–02. The vast majority of this expenditure was associated with our major Information Communication Technology and Estate construction programmes.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on smuggling arms to rebel forces within the Congo from (a) Rwanda, (b) Angola and (c) Uganda.

Jack Straw: holding answer 17 September 2003
	We condemn the supply of arms to militia groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and continue to call for an end to all such support. UN Security Council Resolution 1493 (2003) introduced an arms embargo on eastern DRC and on armed groups not party to the main power-sharing agreement (signed in Pretoria in December 2002). The UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) are mandated by the same resolution to report regularly to the Security Council on information concerning arms supplies.

EU Accession States (Work Permits)

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether residents of countries which join the European Union will have immediate permission to work in the United Kingdom with effect from the date of those countries joining the Union; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The EU (Accessions) Bill provides a power to grant nationals of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia the same rights to work in the UK from 1 May 2004 as are enjoyed by nationals of the states in the European Economic Area. The Accession Treaty automatically grants nationals of Cyprus and Malta these rights.
	I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's written statement of 16 December 2002, Official Report, columns 537–51WS, on EU enlargement and free movement of workers, and to the EU (Accessions) Bill and its Explanatory Notes—both available on the FCO website under 'enlarging the EU'—http://www.fco.gov.uk.

Israel

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government regarding the security barrier.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary both made clear our concerns over the route and likely impact of the "security fence" to Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, when he visited London on 14 July. Foreign Office officials have also made representations through the Israeli embassy.
	The fence should not be built within occupied territory. We deplore this seizure of Palestinian land, isolation of Palestinian villages and the creation of a further physical obstacle to the two-State solution.

Parliamentary Questions

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Questions directed to him remain unanswered.

Jack Straw: My Department has 49 Parliamentary Questions unanswered as of 17 September, only one of which is more than 7 working days old, which will be answered shortly.

Serbia and Montenegro

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring is occurring of attacks on religious minorities in (a) Serbia and (b) Montenegro.

Denis MacShane: The implementation of the Charter on Human and Minority Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Serbia and Montenegro, including the protection and promotion of national minorities (whether religious, ethnic or otherwise), is closely monitored by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR). Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) also monitor observance of human rights in Serbia and Montenegro and include Amnesty International, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia (HCHRS) and Human Rights Watch.
	Serbia and Montenegro is also subject to a number of the Council of Europe's human rights monitoring mechanisms, including those provided for under the Framework Convention on National Minorities which was ratified by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro) on 11 May 2001.